Multi-Protocol Switch Cabinet for Pooled Resource Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The limitations of Moore's Law and processor performance slowdown in data centers lead to bottlenecks in memory capacity and bandwidth, necessitating a disaggregated data center architecture with heterogeneous processors and accelerators, which face challenges in communication delay and transmission bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
A switch and switch cabinet design that supports multiple protocols, enabling resource pooling and flexible configuration, reducing costs and power consumption by integrating ingress and egress processing modules, multi-protocol conversion, and shared resource pools within the cabinet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple protocol support is implemented through separate processing modules for each protocol, then protocol compatibility is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ingress processing module and egress processing module are designed as universal multi-protocol processing units that can handle multiple different protocols (such as PCIe, CXL, Ethernet, InfiniBand) through a single integrated architecture. The switching module similarly supports multiple protocols, eliminating the need for separate dedicated processing modules for each protocol type.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple protocol processing functions are merged into single integrated processing modules. The ingress processing module combines packet reception, protocol identification, and initial processing for multiple protocols into one unit. Similarly, the egress processing module combines final processing and transmission functions for multiple protocols into a single unit, reducing overall device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple protocol support is implemented through separate processing modules for each protocol, then protocol compatibility is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The universal ingress processing module and egress processing module can dynamically adapt to handle different protocols, eliminating the need to power multiple dedicated protocol processing modules simultaneously. This multi-functional approach reduces overall power consumption while maintaining protocol compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging multiple protocol processing functions into single integrated modules, the system reduces the total number of active processing units required, thereby reducing overall power consumption while still supporting multiple protocols through the unified multi-protocol capable modules.
3Speed
If local resources are configured inside each server, then resource access speed is improved, but resource utilization and flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments resources into local cache resources (for fast access) and pooled external resources (for shared utilization). Local resources remain close to servers for high-speed access, while excess resources are segmented out into pooled resources that can be dynamically allocated to multiple servers, improving both access speed and utilization flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The switching module acts as an intermediary between servers and pooled resources, enabling fast access to locally cached resources while also providing efficient routing to external pooled resources. This intermediary architecture maintains high access speeds for critical local operations while enabling flexible resource sharing through the pooled resources.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a switch, a switch cabinet, and a data switching method. The switch specifically includes at least two interface modules, a switching module, and an ingress processing module. The at least two interface modules include a first interface and a second interface. The first interface is configured to: send and receive a first packet that is based on a first protocol, and the second interface is configured to: send and receive a second packet that is based on a second protocol. The interface module is configured to obtain a to-be-forwarded packet, where the to-be-forwarded packet is one of the first packet and the second packet. The ingress processing module is configured to: receive the to-be-forwarded packet from the interface module, and obtain first indication information corresponding to the to-be-forwarded packet, where the first indication information indicates a destination interface corresponding to the to-be-forwarded packet. The switching module is configured to: receive the to-be-forwarded packet and the first indication information from the ingress processing module, and send the to-be-forwarded packet to the corresponding destination interface based on the first indication information.