Hybrid Network Architecture for Parallel Computing Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The expansion of parallel computing capability is limited by data communication performance, particularly collective communication, as the proportion of communication time increases with the scale of the system, leading to inefficiencies in applications like data centers and distributed file systems.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid network system combining point-to-point and broadcast networks, where network nodes can select between channels based on communication tasks, allowing for flexible communication that reduces communication times and alleviates resource pressure, thereby improving expandability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only point-to-point network is used for data communication, then network architecture is simple, but collective communication performance deteriorates and communication time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines point-to-point network and broadcast network into a hybrid network system. The point-to-point network handles individual communication tasks while the broadcast network handles collective communication tasks, merging the advantages of both network types to improve overall communication performance without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic channel selection where network nodes can dynamically choose between point-to-point channels and broadcast channels based on the communication task requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize communication paths in real-time, improving collective communication performance while maintaining architectural flexibility
2Productivity
If system scale is expanded to improve parallel computing capability, then computing power increases, but communication time proportion increases and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments communication tasks into two categories: individual point-to-point communication tasks handled by the point-to-point network, and collective communication tasks handled by the broadcast network. This segmentation allows each network type to optimize its specialized function, reducing overall communication time as system scale expands
Solution Approach 2:
The broadcast network acts as an intermediary for collective communication tasks, enabling efficient one-to-many communication patterns that are essential for scaled parallel computing. This intermediary mechanism reduces the communication time overhead that would otherwise increase linearly with system scale
3Ease of manufacture
If point-to-point channels are used for all communication tasks, then network implementation is simple, but communication efficiency for collective operations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid network system provides multi-functionality by enabling network nodes to perform both point-to-point communication and broadcast communication. This universality allows the system to handle diverse communication tasks efficiently while maintaining a unified network architecture that is relatively simple to implement
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid network system, a communication method and a network node are provided. The hybrid network system includes a combined network system architecture of a point-to-point network and a broadcast network, the point-to-point network is provided with a plurality of point-to-point channels, and each network node can send a message to a corresponding network node or receive the message from the corresponding network node through the point-to-point channel; the broadcast network is provided with a plurality of broadcast channels, and each broadcast channel can only have one sender at most at the same time, but can have a plurality of receivers; at least a part of network nodes have the capability of sending messages to be broadcast, at least a part of network nodes have the capability of receiving the broadcast messages, and at least some network nodes are configured to select the broadcast network or the point-to-point network at least according to communication tasks to be executed per se to complete the communication tasks to be executed. Preferably, each network node has the capability of sending and receiving the broadcast message. The hybrid network system of the embodiment of the present invention has high flexibility and high communication performance.