QoS Arbitration Reordering Data Transactions for Interconnect Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interconnect systems face limitations in achieving guaranteed end-to-end quality of service and latency for data transactions due to lack of knowledge about the quality of service levels achievable by both interconnect and slave units, especially under heavy loads, and are restricted by standard interface protocols that do not support communication of quality of service information.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve determining the quality of service and latency requirements for data transactions, reordering them to ensure that the combined interconnect and slave quality of service levels meet the required standards, using arbitration logic to prioritize transactions based on their quality of service and latency needs, and utilizing a quality of service arbiter to manage and optimize data transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the interconnect transmits higher quality of service data transactions in favour of lower quality of service data transactions, then the quality of service for high-priority transactions is improved, but the end-to-end quality of service requirement cannot be guaranteed because the interconnect has no knowledge of the quality of service level achievable by the destination slave unit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the slave unit determine its achievable quality of service level for each data transaction and communicate this information back to the interconnect. This feedback loop enables the interconnect to make informed arbitration decisions that guarantee end-to-end quality of service requirements, resolving the information asymmetry problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the slave unit acts as a mediator that provides quality of service capability information to the interconnect. This intermediary role allows the slave unit to influence arbitration decisions without being directly involved in the arbitration process, enabling end-to-end quality of service guarantee.
2Reliability
If the slave units respond to higher quality of service data transaction requests in favour of lower quality of service requests, then the quality of service for high-priority transactions is improved, but the end-to-end quality of service requirement cannot be guaranteed because the slave unit has no knowledge of the quality of service level achievable by the interconnect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the interconnect determine its achievable quality of service level for data transactions and communicate this information to the slave units. This feedback enables slave units to adjust their response prioritization to match the interconnect's capabilities, ensuring end-to-end quality of service guarantee.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard interface protocols are used to couple master and slave units, then the interconnect can interface between master and slave units using standard interfaces, but the ability to provide end-to-end quality of service is restricted because the protocols do not typically support communication of quality of service information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a quality of service arbitration mechanism that works with standard interface protocols while adding multi-functionality to communicate quality of service information. The slave unit's quality of service determination and communication capability enables the system to handle both standard data transactions and quality of service arbitration using the same interface.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, an interconnect and a system for processing data is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: a) receiving a request to perform a data transaction between a master unit and a slave unit, b) receiving an indication of a quality of service requirement associated with said data transaction; c) determining an interconnect quality of service level achievable when transmitting said data transaction over the interconnect logic having regard to any other pending data transactions which are yet to be issued; d) determining a slave quality of service level achievable when responding to said data transaction once received by said slave unit from said interconnect logic; and e) determining whether the combined interconnect quality of service level and the slave quality of service level fails to achieve the quality of service requirement and, if so, reordering the pending data transactions to enable the quality of service requirement of each data transaction to be achieved. Hence, arbitration between data transactions occurs prior to those transactions being provided to the interconnect. It will be appreciated that this enables pending data transactions to be systematically reordered and the quality of service level for each of these reordered data transactions to be accurately calculated to ensure that the quality of service requirement for each of those data transactions is achieved. Accordingly, this enables all aspects of quality of service to be budgeted together and true end-to-end quality of service may be determined for each data transaction.