Network instantiated peripheral devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face density limitations and resource inefficiencies due to fixed arrangements of CPUs, GPUs, and storage elements in blade servers, leading to increased physical space and cost requirements as jobs are deployed across multiple servers, regardless of actual resource needs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that dynamically attaches and detaches peripheral devices such as GPUs, FPGAs, and ASICs over network links, emulating their behavior as local devices within the host system, allowing flexible resource allocation and utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If blade servers use fixed arrangement of CPU, GPU, and storage elements in common enclosure, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fixed blade server configuration into separate virtualizable components. The computing resources (CPU, GPU, storage) are divided into virtual devices that can be independently allocated to different virtual machines, allowing dynamic resource distribution while maintaining the physical fixed arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic resource allocation through virtualization. The fixed physical arrangement becomes dynamically configurable via virtual device assignments, enabling resources to be reassigned between virtual machines based on workload demands without physical reconfiguration.
2Productivity
If data centers deploy increasing quantity of servers to accommodate traffic, then productivity is improved, but area of stationary object increases and device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes server resources universal through virtualization. A single physical server can serve multiple virtual machines with different resource configurations, allowing the same hardware to fulfill multiple functional roles and reduce the total number of physical servers needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple virtual machines onto shared physical infrastructure. By consolidating workloads across virtualized resources, the system achieves higher density and reduces the physical footprint required for the same computational capacity.
3Reliability
If peripheral devices are physically plugged into motherboard, then reliability is improved and ease of operation is improved, but adaptability deteriorates and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes peripheral device assignments dynamic through virtualization. Peripheral devices can be dynamically assigned to different virtual machines based on workload requirements, providing adaptability while maintaining stable physical connections to the hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer as an intermediary between physical peripheral devices and virtual machines. This intermediary enables flexible logical assignment of devices to multiple virtual machines while the physical device remains statically connected to the hardware platform.
Data Source
AI summary
Enhanced apparatuses, systems, and techniques for coupling network-linked peripheral devices into host computing devices is presented. A method includes, over a network interface of a host device, obtaining an indication of a peripheral device available for associating with the host device. Based on the indication, the method includes initiating instantiation of the peripheral device into a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) subsystem of the host device by at least emulating behavior of the peripheral device over the network interface as a PCIe peripheral device coupled locally to the host system.