Network Packet Handling With RDMA for Microsecond Telemetry
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network information transmission systems face challenges in handling high packet rates and microsecond resolution data transmission due to high CPU load and bandwidth limitations, particularly in switch-based configurations, leading to slow packet handling and inability to manage high-resolution data effectively.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing remote direct memory access (RDMA) over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) connections to enable hardware-handled packet transmission, allowing switches to send packets at significantly higher rates without CPU intervention, and enabling microsecond-resolution telemetry by directly accessing collector memory for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If switch-based packet handling is used for network telemetry, then packet transmission can be performed, but high CPU load and bandwidth limitations occur leading to slow packet handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts packet handling functionality from the CPU by implementing a dedicated packet handling device with hardware-based packet duplication and RDMA encapsulation capabilities. This separates the high-speed packet processing function from the control plane, allowing the CPU to focus on higher-level tasks while the dedicated device handles the bandwidth-intensive packet telemetry operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary packet handling device that sits between the network switch and the collector system. This intermediary device performs packet duplication, encapsulation, and RDMA connection management, acting as a mediator that enables high-speed packet transmission without burdening the CPU or consuming excessive bandwidth on the core network.
2Quantity of substance
If high packet rates are transmitted through the network, then more telemetry data can be collected, but bandwidth limitations prevent effective management of high-resolution data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet handling function into dedicated hardware components within the packet handling device. By implementing hardware-based packet duplication and RDMA encapsulation, the system divides the data transmission task into specialized functions that can operate in parallel at line rate, effectively increasing the quantity of telemetry data transmitted without being constrained by bandwidth limitations.
3Measurement precision
If microsecond resolution telemetry is implemented, then higher precision diagnosis is achieved, but CPU intervention requirements increase slowing down packet handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service packet handling where the packet handling device autonomously performs packet duplication, encapsulation, and transmission without requiring CPU intervention. The hardware-based RDMA encapsulation automatically manages the encapsulation process, allowing microsecond-resolution telemetry to be captured and transmitted with high precision while maintaining high packet processing efficiency through autonomous hardware operation.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A network information transmission system. The network information transmission system includes a packet handling device including a control plane configured to open a remote direct memory access (RDMA) connection with a destination external to the network information transmission system, an encapsulator configured to encapsulate one or more packets traversing the packet handling device, producing one or more encapsulated packets, and a transmitter configured to transmit the one or more encapsulated packets, via the RDMA connection, to the destination external to the network information transmission system. Related apparatus and methods are also described.