Host Processor Packet Joining for NAS Frame Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Database applications using network attached storage experience performance degradation under high loading conditions due to inefficient packing of block-level I/O requests into network data transport packets, resulting in wasted host processing time and network bandwidth from partially filled transmission frames.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented where a host processor joins I/O request data packets from different on-line transaction processing applications into the same network transmission frames to more completely fill them, ensuring each packet is transmitted within a specified time interval to prevent further delays, thereby optimizing frame utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If block-level I/O requests are packed into network data transport packets individually, then each packet can be transmitted independently, but network transmission frames become only partially filled causing waste of host processing time and network bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual I/O request packets into a single network transmission frame by joining them together. The host processor collects multiple small packets and combines them into larger frames that are more efficiently utilized, thereby reducing the waste of network bandwidth and host processing time while maintaining reliable data transmission.
2Speed
If multiple small data packets are transmitted in separate frames, then transmission can proceed continuously, but many frames will be less than half full or contain less than 500 bytes causing considerable waste
Solution Approach 1:
The host processor performs preliminary action by collecting and buffering multiple small I/O request packets before transmitting them. Instead of transmitting each small packet immediately in separate frames, the system accumulates packets and joins them into larger frames for transmission, thereby reducing network bandwidth waste while maintaining continuous transmission capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If I/O request data packets from different applications are transmitted separately, then application isolation is maintained, but frame filling efficiency is reduced under high loading conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The host processor implements a universal packet joining mechanism that handles I/O request packets from multiple different applications simultaneously. The system maintains application isolation through logical separation while using a common frame filling process to efficiently pack packets from various applications into shared network transmission frames, thereby improving frame filling efficiency under high loading conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A performance problem is caused by network transmission frames being only partially filled with I/O request packets from the on-line transaction processing applications. This problem is solved by programming the host processor to join the I/O request data packets from different applications in the same network transmission frames to more completely fill the frames. For example, the I/O request data packets are joined into the frames and each data packet is transmitted in a frame after a delay of no more than a certain time interval. At least some of the frames are transmitted once these frames are filled with some of the data packets so that each of these frames cannot contain an additional data packet. Preferably the certain time interval is adjusted based on network loading so that the certain time interval is increased for increased loading.