Source Priority Aware Packet Memory Reservation Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network packet processing methods for memory reservation and flow control are inadequate as they lack source and priority specificity, leading to unfairness and inefficiencies, particularly in handling memory constraints and traffic priorities.
Innovation Solution
A source-based and priority-based memory usage table system is implemented to dynamically manage packet memory reservations and flow control, allowing for source-specific and priority-specific control of packet transmission by using XON and XOFF thresholds to send flow control signals, ensuring that only responsible sources or priorities are back-pressured when memory is low.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If global packet memory reservation is used, then implementation simplicity is improved, but source and priority specific admittance control and flow control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the global packet memory into multiple virtual memory regions, each associated with a specific source or priority level. This segmentation enables source-specific and priority-specific memory reservation while maintaining manageable complexity through structured organization of memory resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of control by adding source ID and priority level as additional indexing dimensions to the memory reservation structure. This transforms the conventional single-dimension global memory management into a multi-dimensional reservation system that provides fine-grained control without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Speed
If in-band flow control based on fast buffer occupancy is used, then flow control responsiveness is improved, but awareness of packet memory reservations in main memory deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the fast buffer flow control status is continuously monitored and used to update the main memory reservation state. This feedback loop ensures that fast buffer occupancy information is integrated into the overall memory management decision-making process, maintaining both responsiveness and global awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an asymmetric relationship between fast buffer control and main memory control, where the fast buffer operates with immediate local control for responsiveness, while the main memory operates with structured reservation for global awareness. The two levels are connected through asymmetric information flow that preserves the strengths of each level.
3Device complexity
If out-of-band flow control based on global memory usage is used, then memory management simplicity is improved, but source isolated backpressure and fairness among traffic priorities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the global memory management into source-specific and priority-specific virtual memory regions, each with its own reservation counters and flow control state. This segmentation enables isolated backpressure to individual sources or priorities while maintaining overall structured management that prevents excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic flow control where reservation thresholds and flow control decisions can be adjusted based on current memory usage patterns, source behavior, and priority requirements. This dynamic approach maintains simplicity through adaptive algorithms while providing the versatility needed for source-isolated backpressure and priority-based fairness.
4Speed
If flow control decisions are made completely in the fast path, then flow control speed is improved, but hardware complexity and cost deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary flow control decisions in the fast path based on pre-configured reservation thresholds and source-priority mappings. By pre-computing and caching reservation states and thresholds, the system enables rapid flow control decisions in the fast path without requiring complex real-time hardware computations for each packet.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data structure (virtual memory reservation table) that mediates between the fast path packet processing and the detailed memory management. This intermediary structure stores pre-computed reservation information that the fast path can query rapidly without direct access to complex memory management logic, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining speed.
5Speed
If flow control function is implemented in the fast path, then flow control responsiveness is improved, but packet transmission function lag behind deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flow control function into separate source-specific and priority-specific processing paths. This segmentation allows parallel evaluation of flow control decisions for different sources and priorities, enabling responsive flow control without creating sequential bottlenecks that would cause packet transmission lag.
Data Source
AI summary
A source-based memory usage table is accessed to identify a source having a memory usage satisfying a predetermined memory usage threshold, the source-based memory usage table including a plurality of source records, each corresponding to a source from which packets are received. A first flow control signal is transmitted to the identified source that has a memory usage satisfying the corresponding predetermined memory usage threshold to control further packet transmission from the identified source. A priority-based memory usage table is accessed to identify a priority of which a memory usage satisfies a predetermined memory usage threshold of the priority. A second flow control signal is transmitted to one or more sources associated with the identified priority having a memory usage satisfying the corresponding predetermined memory usage threshold to control further packet transmission from the identified one or more sources.