NUMA Network Buffer Allocation via Consumption Profiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) machines, network buffers are often allocated on remote memory nodes, leading to increased memory access times and performance degradation, especially in high-speed network environments, as there is no mechanism to ensure allocation on the same node as the running process.
Innovation Solution
A buffer manager that logs network buffer allocations to develop a consumption profile and allocates buffers based on a bias table, ensuring that network buffers are allocated on the same NUMA node as the requesting process, either by empirical determination of consumption patterns or using a configured bias table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network buffers are allocated in any segment of memory without regard to NUMA node location, then memory allocation flexibility is improved, but memory access time increases due to remote memory accesses
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of buffer consumption patterns to determine which NUMA nodes are most likely to allocate buffers. This advance knowledge is stored and used to guide subsequent buffer allocations, ensuring buffers are pre-positioned on the correct NUMA node before allocation requests occur, thereby avoiding remote memory accesses without reducing allocation flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system logs actual buffer allocation locations and consumption patterns, then uses this feedback information to refine and update the consumption profile. This continuous feedback loop allows the system to learn from actual behavior and improve allocation decisions over time, maintaining flexibility while progressively reducing remote memory accesses
2Measurement precision
If buffer consumption patterns are logged and analyzed to determine per-process profiles, then buffer allocation accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases due to logging and analysis mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of logging and analyzing all possible buffer allocation parameters, the system focuses on logging only the essential information needed to determine NUMA node preferences (such as which node allocated the buffer and which process consumed it). This partial action approach achieves sufficient allocation accuracy without the complexity of comprehensive monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the complex multi-dimensional buffer consumption data into a simplified per-process consumption profile that captures the essential NUMA node preference. By changing the parameter representation from detailed raw logs to aggregated process profiles, the system maintains high allocation accuracy while reducing the complexity of the data structure
Data Source
AI summary
A buffer manager allocates and logs network buffers for a non-uniform memory access (NUMA) machine is described. In one embodiment, the buffer manager receives information about an allocated network buffer. The buffer manager determines the allocation point of the buffer and logs information about the allocation point and a consumption profile information. This logged information is analyzed to determine a per-process buffer consumption profile. The NUMA machine is configured using the buffer consumption profile.