Network Memory Local Buffer RDMA Bandwidth
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In data networks like InfiniBand and Data Center Ethernet, frequent RDMA requests to host memory by network interface controllers (NICs) consume bandwidth and increase latency due to the need for bus transactions, as all memory accesses are directed through the host memory.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a local memory in the NIC that is not mapped to the host bus address space, allowing packet processing circuitry to service RDMA requests directly from this local memory without invoking host bus transactions, and using a modifier to differentiate between host and local memory addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If all memory accesses are directed through host memory via the host bus, then host processor accessibility to memory is maintained, but bandwidth consumption increases and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory system into two distinct parts: host memory accessible via the host bus, and local memory directly accessible by the NIC. This segmentation allows RDMA operations to access local memory without traversing the host bus, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption on the host bus while maintaining host processor accessibility to host memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The local memory acts as an intermediary between the NIC and the host memory. By introducing this intermediate storage layer, the patent enables the NIC to service RDMA requests directly without requiring host bus transactions, thus reducing bandwidth consumption and latency while the host processor retains access to its own memory space.
2Loss of time
If a local memory is introduced in the NIC, then bandwidth consumption is reduced and latency is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory system into two distinct parts: host memory accessible via the host bus, and local memory directly accessible by the NIC. This segmentation allows RDMA operations to access local memory without traversing the host bus, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption on the host bus while maintaining host processor accessibility to host memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The local memory acts as an intermediary between the NIC and the host memory. By introducing this intermediate storage layer, the patent enables the NIC to service RDMA requests directly without requiring host bus transactions, thus reducing bandwidth consumption and latency while the host processor retains access to its own memory space.
3Loss of time
If a local memory is introduced in the NIC, then bandwidth consumption is reduced and latency is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory system into two distinct parts: host memory accessible via the host bus, and local memory directly accessible by the NIC. This segmentation allows RDMA operations to access local memory without traversing the host bus, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption on the host bus while maintaining host processor accessibility to host memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The local memory acts as an intermediary between the NIC and the host memory. By introducing this intermediate storage layer, the patent enables the NIC to service RDMA requests directly without requiring host bus transactions, thus reducing bandwidth consumption and latency while the host processor retains access to its own memory space.
Data Source
AI summary
Communication apparatus includes a host interface for connection, via a host bus, to a host processor and a host memory, which is mapped to an address space of the host bus, and a network interface, configured to transmit and receive packets over a network. A local memory is configured to hold data in a memory space that is not mapped to the address space of the host bus. Packet processing circuitry, which is connected between the host interface and the network interface and is connected to the local memory, is configured to receive from the network interface a packet carrying a remote direct memory access (RDMA) request that is directed to an address in the local memory, and to service the RDMA request by accessing the data in the local memory.