Network Adapter DMA Processing Without Onboard Data Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network adapters strain their buses and consume excessive memory resources due to repeated data retrieval and storage during storage service processing, increasing program complexity and resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
A network adapter with a hardware processing engine that directly processes data from a host memory without storing it, performing storage service operations and sending processed data directly to a peer server, reducing the need for bus access and memory storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network adapter stores data in its memory for processing, then the data can be processed by the processor, but the memory consumption and program complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data storage function from the network adapter's memory by directly accessing the host memory through DMA. The hardware processing engine retrieves data directly from host memory without requiring the network adapter to allocate and manage its own memory buffers, thereby eliminating the need for large on-board memory while maintaining full data processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hardware processing engine as an intermediary between the processor and host memory. This hardware engine handles data retrieval and preprocessing operations directly from host memory, reducing the need for the network adapter to store data in its own memory while still enabling comprehensive data processing through coordinated hardware-software operation.
2Reliability
If the network adapter repeatedly obtains data from its memory through bus access, then the data can be processed, but the bus strain increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data retrieval operation from the network adapter's internal memory by implementing direct host memory access through DMA. The hardware processing engine fetches data directly from host memory without requiring repeated bus transactions through the network adapter's memory, thereby eliminating bus strain while maintaining data processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical bus-based data access mechanism with a more efficient DMA-based direct memory access system. This substitution allows the hardware processing engine to retrieve data directly from host memory without going through the traditional bus interface, reducing bus strain and improving data access efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the network adapter uses a CPU to process storage services, then the services can be managed, but the host CPU resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the hardware processing engine to autonomously perform storage service processing operations. The hardware engine can independently retrieve data from host memory, process it according to configured parameters, and write results back without requiring continuous CPU intervention, thereby reducing host CPU resource consumption while maintaining service management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based CPU processing mechanism with a hardware-based processing engine. This substitution moves storage service processing from the software/CPU domain to the hardware domain, allowing services to be managed through hardware-level operations that consume minimal CPU resources while maintaining full adaptability and versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A network adapter includes a processor and a hardware processing engine. The processor is configured to obtain a first I/O command that indicates to write first data stored in a local server into at least one peer server, and to send first indication information to the hardware processing engine, where the first indication information indicates the hardware processing engine to obtain the first data from the local server, and the indication information includes address information and length information that are of the first data and that are stored in the local server. The hardware processing engine is configured to: when the first data is obtained from the local server based on the address information and the length information, directly process the first data, and send the processed first data to the at least one peer server, where the first data is not stored in a memory of the network adapter.