Messaging API for InfiniBand Data Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern high-performance enterprise data centers and middleware machine systems face challenges in efficient communication between multiple nodes, leading to suboptimal performance due to limitations in existing communication fabrics.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for providing a messaging application program interface (API) that utilizes a message bus component and InfiniBand communication fabric, enabling asynchronous messaging, low latency, and high data throughput, specifically designed for use in enterprise data centers and middleware machine systems like Oracle's Exalogic appliances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional communication fabrics are used between nodes, then system compatibility and ease of implementation are maintained, but communication efficiency and data throughput are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a messaging API as an intermediary layer between applications and the communication fabric. This messaging API abstracts the complexity of direct communication fabric interactions, allowing applications to communicate efficiently using standardized messaging patterns while the underlying InfiniBand fabric handles the high-performance data transfer. The messaging API serves as a mediator that translates application-level communication needs into optimized fabric operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the communication parameters by transitioning from traditional Ethernet-based communication to InfiniBand fabric with specific performance characteristics. The messaging API is designed to leverage InfiniBand's high bandwidth, low latency, and remote direct memory access (RDMA) capabilities, fundamentally changing the communication parameters to achieve superior throughput and efficiency while managing the complexity through abstraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Speed

If high-performance communication fabric like InfiniBand is implemented, then data throughput and latency are improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer speedVSAvoidcommunication fabric complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The messaging API acts as an intermediary that simplifies access to the InfiniBand fabric's high-performance capabilities. Instead of requiring applications to directly manage complex InfiniBand protocols and operations, the messaging API provides a standardized interface that automatically leverages the fabric's speed and efficiency benefits while hiding the underlying complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical communication mechanisms (standard Ethernet protocols, file system operations) with InfiniBand-based mechanisms including Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA). This substitution enables direct memory-to-memory data transfer between nodes without involving the operating system's file system or buffer management, dramatically improving data transfer speed while the messaging API manages the complexity of these advanced mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If asynchronous messaging is implemented, then communication efficiency and system responsiveness are improved, but implementation complexity and programming difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem responsivenessVSAvoidprogramming ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The messaging API provides a universal asynchronous messaging interface that can be used by all applications regardless of their specific needs. The same API methods and patterns work for different types of messages, different destination nodes, and different communication scenarios. This universality maintains programming simplicity while enabling efficient asynchronous communication across the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The messaging API implements self-service mechanisms where the system automatically manages message routing, delivery confirmation, and error handling without requiring complex programming from applications. The asynchronous messaging infrastructure handles its own state management and coordination, allowing applications to simply send and receive messages using straightforward API calls while the system manages the complexity of asynchronous coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10521282B2System and method for providing a messaging application program interface

Publication Date: 2019.12.31 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A system and method for providing a message bus component or version thereof (referred to herein as an implementation), and a messaging application program interface, for use in an enterprise data center, middleware machine system, or similar environment that includes a plurality of processor nodes together with a high-performance communication fabric (or communication mechanism) such as InfiniBand. In accordance with an embodiment, the messaging application program interface enables features such as asynchronous messaging, low latency, and high data throughput, and supports the use of in-memory data grid, application server, and other middleware components.