Transaction Signature Processing for Low-Latency Data Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data integrity protection mechanisms in computer networks, such as those used in storage networks, face challenges in efficiently verifying and maintaining data integrity across transactions involving multiple data blocks with different signature types, particularly in high-performance computing environments like InfiniBand networks.
Innovation Solution
A network communication device with processing circuitry that computes and verifies transaction and block signatures on the fly, allowing data blocks to be transferred before signature computation is complete, and supports heterogeneous signature types by using a signature context to apply different rules for each data block or transaction, enabling transparent signature handling and error detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transaction signature computation is performed before data blocks are transmitted, then data integrity verification is ensured, but transmission speed is reduced due to computation time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by computing and inserting the transaction signature into the last data packet in advance, before the actual data transmission is complete. The processing circuitry computes the signature over all data blocks in the transaction and places it in the final packet, allowing the signature to be ready for verification upon receipt without delaying the transmission of intermediate packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the last data packet as an intermediary carrier for the transaction signature. Instead of requiring separate signature transmission or blocking transmission until signature computation completes, the signature is embedded within the last data packet itself, serving as a mediator that carries the verification information along with the data flow.
2Reliability
If block signatures are computed for each data block, then data corruption detection is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the computation of block signatures with the existing transaction signature computation process. The processing circuitry computes both the transaction signature (covering all data blocks) and individual block signatures simultaneously during the same data processing operation, rather than performing separate computation passes. This combines multiple signature generation tasks into a unified processing workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing circuitry is designed with multi-functionality to handle both transaction-level signature computation and block-level signature computation using the same hardware resources. The circuitry can operate in different modes depending on the transaction requirements, providing universal signature protection at multiple levels without requiring separate dedicated processing units for each function.
3Measurement precision
If signature computation is completed before first data block exits the device, then verification accuracy is ensured, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing the transaction signature and inserting it into the last data packet before the transmission sequence completes. This allows the signature to be ready for verification without requiring additional processing time after the data arrives, reducing latency while maintaining verification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal dimension of signature availability by placing the signature in the last packet rather than requiring it to be computed and available before the first packet exits. This dimensional shift in when the signature becomes available allows parallel processing of data transmission and signature computation, reducing overall latency while ensuring verification accuracy upon receipt of the complete transaction.
Data Source
AI summary
A network communication device includes a host interface, which is coupled to communicate with a host processor, having a host memory, so as to receive a work request to execute a transaction in which a plurality of data blocks are to be transferred over a packet network. Processing circuitry is configured to process multiple data packets so as to execute the transaction, each data packet in the transaction containing a portion of the data blocks, and the multiple data packets including at least first and last packets, which respectively contain the first and last data blocks of the transaction. The processing circuitry is configured to compute a transaction signature over the data blocks while processing the data packets so that at least the first data block passes out of the network communication device through one of the interfaces before computation of the transaction signature is completed.