Optical Interleaver for Wideband Memory Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data center technologies face challenges in ensuring low latency and high bandwidth for memory access, particularly with the evolution towards heterogeneous computing and the need for ultra-low-latency AI services, where existing electric switches fail to meet the required 1 μs delay and 100 Gbps bandwidth for memory resources, and there is a significant resource utilization imbalance leading to performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an optical interleaver in a server that uses wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to distribute memory resources across a network, connecting through an optical switch, allowing for simultaneous request and response operations on remote memory devices, thereby minimizing network switching delay and optimizing resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If an electric switch is used to connect memory resources in a data center, then the connection structure is simple, but the bandwidth and latency requirements (100 Gbps bandwidth and 1 μs delay) cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electric switches with optical switches to achieve high-speed memory access. The optical switch uses optical signals instead of electrical signals, enabling bandwidth of several Tbps and latency of several hundred nanoseconds, which meets the stringent requirements for heterogeneous computing and AI services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements memory resource disaggregation by dividing memory resources into independent units that can be dynamically allocated across multiple servers. This segmentation allows memory resources to be distributed on the network while maintaining high-speed access through optical connections, resolving the contradiction between simple connection structure and high performance requirements.
2Productivity
If memory resources are concentrated in single servers, then the connection structure is simple, but resource utilization imbalance occurs with 2% of applications using 98% of resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory resources from their traditional server-bound configuration and distributes them across the network as independent allocable units. This allows memory resources to be shared dynamically among multiple applications and servers, achieving balanced resource utilization while maintaining simple access through the optical switch fabric.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal memory pool that can be accessed by any server or application through the optical network. The disaggregated memory resources serve multiple functions and multiple applications simultaneously, eliminating resource idle time and achieving high utilization rates across the data center.
3Speed
If optical switch is used to connect memory resources, then high bandwidth (several Tbps) and low latency (several hundred nanoseconds) are achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical switch as an intermediary device that manages the complex optical connections between memory resources and servers. The optical switch abstracts the complexity of optical signal routing, wavelength management, and connection management, allowing high-speed access while keeping the system manageable through centralized control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables broadband memory access by ensuring low latency and high bandwidth, effectively addressing the resource imbalance and performance degradation issues in data centers, allowing for efficient access and utilization of memory resources across a network.
Implementation Method 1
multiplexing the same request message at the different wavelengths according to a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) scheme
Implementation Method 2
access of a CPU of the server to the memory resources distributed on the network by using an optical switch, thereby minimizing a network switching delay
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a memory access method and a server for performing the same. A memory access method performed by an optical interleaver included in a server includes receiving a request message from a requester processing engine included in the server, setting receiving buffers corresponding to different wavelengths corresponding to the number of external memory/storage devices connected to the server, multiplexing the same request message at the different wavelengths according to a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) scheme, and transmitting the multiplexed request messages to the respective external memory/storage devices, wherein an address of a virtual memory managed by the server is separated and stored according to an interleaving scheme by a responder included in each of the external memory/storage devices.