Peripheral Memory Access Policy Based on Usage Characteristics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Peripheral devices in computing systems lack prior information about the usage characteristics of memory regions they need to access, preventing them from optimizing memory access operations such as caching and prefetching.

Innovation Solution

A system where a processing device assigns a memory region and provides context information to a peripheral device, which sets a memory-access policy based on usage characteristics such as access patterns, frequency, and direction, and accesses the memory region using Direct Memory Access (DMA) in accordance with this policy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If peripheral devices access memory regions directly using DMA without prior information about usage characteristics, then memory access operations can be performed, but optimization opportunities for caching and prefetching are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory access efficiencyVSAvoidusage characteristics information

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The host processing device performs preliminary analysis of memory usage characteristics (access patterns, frequency, direction) and communicates this information to the peripheral device before DMA operations begin. This allows the peripheral device to pre-configure optimal memory access policies including caching strategies and prefetching parameters, thereby improving memory access efficiency without losing usage characteristics information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The host processing device acts as an intermediary that bridges the information gap between the memory system and the peripheral device. It monitors and analyzes memory usage characteristics, then translates this information into actionable policies that the peripheral device can implement, enabling optimization without requiring the peripheral device to have direct access to usage characteristic data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If peripheral devices implement adaptive memory access policies based on usage characteristics, then memory resource optimization is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory resource optimizationVSAvoidmemory access policy management

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The memory access optimization system is segmented into distinct functional components: the host processing device handles analysis and policy generation, while the peripheral device handles execution. This segmentation allows complex optimization logic to be distributed, reducing the complexity burden on individual devices while achieving overall system optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The host processing device serves as an intermediary that absorbs the complexity of analyzing usage characteristics and generating optimization policies. This shields the peripheral device from complexity while enabling it to benefit from optimized memory access, effectively externalizing the complex decision-making function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250165402A1Memory-Access Policies in Peripheral Device based on Memory Usage Characteristics

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES LTD(IL)

AI summary

A system includes a processing device and a peripheral device. The processing device is to assign a memory region in a memory. The peripheral device is to set a memory-access policy responsively to usage characteristics of the memory region, and to access data in the memory region using Direct Memory Access (DMA) in accordance with the memory-access policy.