Network Interface Device Offloads Proxy Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service mesh sidecar communication models in cloud environments consume processor resources and introduce latency, which can be mitigated by offloading proxy operations to a network interface device, thereby freeing host processors to execute service workloads and improving communication latency and quality of service.
Innovation Solution
Offloading proxy operations to a network interface device with separate compute, networking, and memory resources, allowing packets to bypass network stack processing and utilize virtual net devices or hardware-accelerated interfaces for direct packet transmission, while utilizing a virtual network device to bypass network filter chains and perform network filtering operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proxy operations are executed on host processors using sidecar communication model, then service mesh functionality is achieved, but processor resources are consumed and latency is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts proxy operations from the host processor and relocates them to a dedicated network interface device. The network interface device independently executes proxy functions (traffic routing, load balancing, SSL termination) separate from the host's compute resources, allowing the host processor to focus solely on service workload execution without being burdened by proxy processing tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the communication stack into distinct functional components: the host processor handles service logic, the network interface device handles proxy operations, and the virtual network device handles packet forwarding. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and prevents resource contention between proxy processing and service execution.
2Reliability
If proxy operations are executed on host processors, then service mesh functionality is achieved, but communication latency is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting proxy operations from the host processor and placing them in a dedicated network interface device with separate compute and networking resources, the patent eliminates the latency introduced by host processor context switching and reduces the number of memory accesses required for proxy processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual network device acts as an intermediary between the host processor and the network interface device, enabling direct packet forwarding bypassing traditional network stack processing. This intermediary layer facilitates efficient data plane communication while maintaining the separation of control plane functions.
3Ease of operation
If packets utilize traditional network stack processing, then host processor control is maintained, but network quality of service is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts packet processing operations from the host processor's network stack and relocates them to the network interface device's dedicated networking resources. This extraction allows high-performance packet forwarding independent of host processor scheduling, enabling guaranteed network quality of service while the host maintains control through the virtual network device interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples described herein relate to a system for offloading a proxy for microservice-to-microservice communication to a network interface device. In some examples, the system includes a host interface and a network interface device circuitry comprising circuitry coupled to the host interface. In some examples, the circuitry is configured to: perform offloaded proxy operations of a service mesh interface for multiple services, wherein the circuitry is accessible via a virtual network device by a host processor-executed service of the multiple services and wherein the service mesh interface is to provide access to a service mesh to communicate with one or more services.