Proxy-Based Offload Task Communication Across Heterogeneous Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current offload processors are limited by their tightly-coupled design, which restricts flexibility and increases costs, failing to leverage diverse computing systems with different architectures and price points, while also minimizing communication latency.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for seamlessly offloading processing tasks from one data processor to another of potentially different architecture, using a proxy-based approach where the offload task and its proxy communicate efficiently across systems, leveraging shared storage, network interfaces, and memory to achieve transparency and high efficiency similar to tightly-coupled mechanisms without added costs or inflexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a tightly-coupled offload processor design is used within the same data processing system, then communication latency is minimized, but flexibility and cost-effectiveness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy as an intermediary component that enables communication between the offload processor and the host system. The proxy translates and forwards messages between different systems, allowing loosely-coupled systems to communicate as if they were tightly-coupled, thereby reducing communication latency while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct components: the host system, the offload processor, and the proxy. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently on different hardware platforms while maintaining coordinated communication, resolving the contradiction between tight coupling (low latency) and loose coupling (flexibility).
2Productivity
If a tightly-coupled offload processor design is used within the same data processing system, then communication efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy serves as a mediator that simplifies the interaction between heterogeneous systems. Instead of requiring complex integrated designs, the proxy handles the complexity of inter-system communication, allowing standard offload processors to achieve high communication efficiency through a relatively simple intermediary component.
3Extent of automation
If traditional offload processors are used within the same data processing system, then task offloading capability is achieved, but adaptability to different architectures is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy is designed with universal functionality to support communication between different system architectures. It can translate and forward messages between various data processing systems, enabling the offload processor to adapt to different host architectures without requiring architecture-specific customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy acts as an architecture-agnostic intermediary that translates between different system interfaces. This allows the offload processor to maintain task offloading capabilities while adapting to diverse host system architectures through the proxy's translation layer.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for offloading data processing. An offload task hosted on a first data processing system provides internal functionality substantially equivalent to that of a second task 304 hosted on a second data processing system of a potentially different architecture. A proxy task hosted on the second data processing system provides an external interface substantially equivalent to that of the second task. A communication mechanism between the first and second data processing systems may be comprised of a network, shared storage, and shared memory. The proxy task substantially replaces the second task, delegating the internal functionality of the second task to the offload task via mapping of arguments and accessing and translating of input and output data as required.