Multi-path RDMA Transmission via Path Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current RDMA technologies are limited to single-path transmission, which makes them vulnerable to path failures and unable to fully utilize the rich network paths in datacenter networks, leading to performance degradation and inefficient bandwidth utilization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing multi-path RDMA (MP-RDMA) transmission, where packets are generated with information for multiple paths, allowing them to be transmitted over multiple network paths using an RDMA protocol, while maintaining a low memory footprint in network interface cards (NICs).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If single-path transmission is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to path failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission path into multiple independent paths between the first device and second device. Each path can be independently managed and selected, allowing the system to divide the transmission task across multiple routes. This segmentation enables failover capability where if one path fails, data can be transmitted through alternative paths, thus improving reliability without requiring complex centralized control of a single path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of path selection by dynamically selecting different transmission paths based on path status, congestion levels, and other network conditions. The system can adjust which path is used for transmission by changing path selection parameters, enabling adaptability to network changes and improving reliability through automatic path switching when failures occur.
2Productivity
If single-path transmission is used, then device complexity is reduced, but network bandwidth utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network bandwidth across multiple paths, allowing simultaneous data transmission on several routes between devices. This segmentation of bandwidth utilization enables the system to fully exploit available network resources by distributing traffic across multiple paths rather than being constrained to a single path, thereby increasing overall network throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple transmission paths into a unified multi-path transmission system. By combining the capabilities of multiple paths and coordinating their usage, the system achieves higher aggregate throughput than any single path could provide alone, while maintaining manageable complexity through structured path management protocols.
3Productivity
If multi-path transmission is implemented, then network bandwidth utilization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces path selection mechanisms and routing management intermediaries that coordinate multi-path transmission. These intermediaries handle the complexity of path selection, packet routing decisions, and path status monitoring, thereby enabling high bandwidth utilization across multiple paths while shielding the core transmission logic from excessive complexity through structured management layers.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with implementations of the subject matter described herein, there provides a solution for multi-path RDMA transmission. In the solution, at least one packet is generated based on an RDMA message to be transmitted from a first device to a second device. The first device has an RDMA connection with the second device via a plurality of paths. A first packet in the at least one packet includes a plurality of fields, which include information for transmitting the first packet over a first path of the plurality of paths. The at least one packet is transmitted to the second device over the plurality of paths via an RDMA protocol. The first packet is transmitted over the first path. The multi-path RDMA transmission solution according to the subject matter described herein can efficiently utilize rich network paths while maintaining a low memory footprint in a network interface card.