Hybrid Memory Management for Many-to-One Virtualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing many-to-one virtualization technologies are inadequate in managing hybrid memory, which includes multiple memory layers such as DRAM and nonvolatile RAM, as they fail to optimize performance, memory capacity, and energy consumption effectively across multiple computing nodes.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid memory management apparatus and method that utilizes a memory management system with a remote request service module, internal request service module, and data arrangement module to efficiently manage hybrid memory by processing page requests, determining request types, and allocating memory across different types of memory devices, including DRAM and NVRAM, using algorithms like LRU and MRU for page migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If nonvolatile memory is used to increase memory capacity and retain data without power, then data retention is improved, but access latency increases significantly compared to DRAM
Solution Approach 1:
The memory system is segmented into multiple layers: fast volatile memory (DRAM) for frequently accessed data and slower nonvolatile memory for data retention. The memory management apparatus segments memory management into local node management and remote node management, handling different types of memory requests separately to optimize access patterns across the hybrid memory architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical memory dimension by combining multiple memory types (DRAM, nonvolatile memory) in a hybrid memory architecture. It adds a spatial dimension with multi-node architecture where memory can be located locally or remotely, creating a three-dimensional memory hierarchy (type, location, access frequency) to resolve the latency-retention tradeoff.
2Productivity
If hybrid memory with multiple memory layers is implemented to optimize performance and capacity, then memory management complexity increases due to additional migration and duplication operations
Solution Approach 1:
The memory management apparatus is designed as a universal system that handles multiple types of memory requests (read, write, invalidation) across multiple memory types (local DRAM, local nonvolatile memory, remote memory) through a unified interface. It provides multi-functional capabilities including page fault handling, memory migration, duplication, and invalidation operations through integrated modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory management apparatus acts as an intermediary layer between the virtual machine and the physical hybrid memory system. It mediates all memory access requests, translating high-level memory operations into specific actions across the complex multi-layered memory architecture, thereby shielding upper layers from management complexity while enabling optimized memory operations.
3Productivity
If many-to-one virtualization combines multiple computing nodes into a single virtual machine, then resource utilization is improved, but memory sharing and management between nodes becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges memory resources from multiple physical nodes into a unified virtual address space accessible by the single virtual machine. It combines local and remote memory into a coherent memory system where pages can be allocated from any node, enabling efficient resource utilization while maintaining simplified access through unified memory management operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory management apparatus implements feedback mechanisms to track memory page locations across nodes, monitor memory access patterns, and dynamically adjust memory allocation and migration decisions. This feedback enables the system to adapt to changing workloads and optimize memory sharing efficiency while maintaining ease of operation through automatic management of complex inter-node memory operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a hybrid memory management apparatus and method for an many-to-one virtualization environment. The hybrid memory management apparatus is implemented in an inverse-virtualization-based multi-node computing system including multiple physical nodes, each containing hybrid memory in which DRAM and NVRAM coexist, a virtual machine, and hypervisors, and includes memory for storing at least one program, and a processor for executing the program, wherein the program includes a remote request service module for processing a page-related request with reference to the hybrid memory and responding to the page-related request by transmitting a result of processing, an internal request service module for processing an internal page fault request with reference to a hybrid memory and responding to the internal page fault request, and a data arrangement module for responding to an inquiry request for a location at which a newly added page is to be arranged in the hybrid memory.