Transfer Device Dynamic Data Request Sizing for Throughput and Delay

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Solution Overview

Problem

In industrial and in-vehicle networks, existing technologies face challenges in maximizing transfer throughput while maintaining allowable transfer delay ranges, especially when both real-time and best-effort traffic coexist, as they struggle to optimize data transfer between the host and Network Interface Card (NIC) efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A communication device with a transfer unit that adjusts the maximum data request size based on scheduling information to prioritize high-priority data transfers, allowing for immediate interruption of low-priority data transfers and optimizing data transfer efficiency by determining the optimal data request size to balance throughput and delay.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the maximum data request size is increased to improve transfer throughput, then productivity improves, but the transfer delay increases which worsens real-time performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer throughputVSAvoidtransfer delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts the maximum data request size based on the priority of data to be transferred. For high-priority real-time data, the system sets a smaller maximum data request size to reduce transfer delay, while for low-priority best-effort data, it allows larger data request sizes to maximize throughput. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between throughput and delay by adapting the data request size to the specific traffic requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If data transfer between host and NIC is optimized for high throughput, then productivity improves, but the ability to handle real-time traffic with strict delay requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer throughputVSAvoidreal-time performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different data request size configurations to different data priorities. High-priority real-time traffic is assigned smaller maximum data request sizes to ensure quick transfer and meet delay requirements, while low-priority traffic receives larger allocations for maximum throughput. This local differentiation of transfer parameters resolves the contradiction by optimizing each traffic type according to its specific requirements rather than using a uniform approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the system prioritizes immediate handling of high-priority data, then real-time performance improves, but the overall transfer throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time performanceVSAvoidtransfer throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements partial optimization by applying smaller maximum data request sizes only to high-priority real-time data transfers, while allowing larger sizes for low-priority traffic. This partial application of the delay-optimization strategy maintains real-time performance for critical traffic without unnecessarily limiting the throughput of non-critical traffic, thus resolving the contradiction between real-time performance and overall throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3457644B1Transfer device, transfer method, and computer-readable medium
Publication Date: 2020.09.23 KK TOSHIBA
  • EP3457644B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3457644B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3457644B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

According to an arrangement, a transfer device (1; 1-2; 1-3) includes a control unit (11; 11b; 11c) and a first transfer unit (12; 12a; 12c). The control unit (11; 11b; 11c) is configured to, by referring to scheduling information indicating a schedule of a timing at which data transfer occurs, dynamically control a maximum data request size that transfer of the data from a first storage unit (2) to a second storage unit (3) can be requested without waiting for reception of read completion notification. The first transfer unit (12; 12a; 12c) is configured to read the data from the first storage unit (2) and transfer the data to the second storage unit (3) in units of maximum data transfer size equal to or less than the maximum data request size.