Virtual Channel Buffer Sharing to Prevent Packet Fragmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer systems face challenges in efficiently managing packet buffers for multiple virtual channels and packet types in digital interfaces, leading to excessive silicon area, power consumption, and fragmentation issues, which increase manufacturing and operational costs and introduce latency.
Innovation Solution
A buffer management system with a shared buffer, fixed-width data transactions, linked lists, and accumulators for each virtual channel and packet type, coordinated by a buffer manager to prevent fragmentation and optimize data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If independent buffers are allocated for each virtual channel and packet type, then buffer management simplicity is improved, but silicon area and power consumption increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent buffers into a single shared buffer that serves all virtual channels and packet types. This consolidation reduces the total silicon area required while maintaining buffer management simplicity through a unified structure with shared read/write pointers and metadata tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared buffer is designed to universally handle multiple virtual channels and packet types simultaneously. The buffer management system uses virtual channel identifiers and packet type information to multiplex access to the same physical buffer resources, eliminating the need for dedicated buffers for each channel and packet type.
2Ease of operation
If independent buffers are allocated for each virtual channel and packet type, then buffer management simplicity is improved, but power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent buffers into a single shared buffer that serves all virtual channels and packet types. This consolidation reduces the total silicon area required while maintaining buffer management simplicity through a unified structure with shared read/write pointers and metadata tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared buffer is designed to universally handle multiple virtual channels and packet types simultaneously. The buffer management system uses virtual channel identifiers and packet type information to multiplex access to the same physical buffer resources, eliminating the need for dedicated buffers for each channel and packet type.
3Area of stationary object
If shared buffers are used for multiple virtual channels, then silicon area is reduced, but packet fragmentation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shared buffer into logical regions using virtual channel identifiers and packet type metadata, even though the physical buffer is contiguous. This virtual segmentation allows the system to track and manage packet data for different channels and packet types within the shared buffer, preventing fragmentation while maintaining area efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer management system acts as an intermediary between the shared buffer and the various virtual channels. It uses metadata structures and pointers to mediate access to the shared buffer, ensuring that packet data for different channels and packet types is properly isolated and managed, thus preventing fragmentation.
4Quantity of substance
If larger buffers are allocated to accommodate all packet types, then buffer capacity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shared buffer is designed to universally handle multiple virtual channels and packet types simultaneously. The buffer management system uses virtual channel identifiers and packet type information to multiplex access to the same physical buffer resources, eliminating the need for dedicated buffers for each channel and packet type.
Data Source
AI summary
A buffer management system receives packet data associated with a first packet characteristic of a plurality of packet characteristics of a plurality of packets transmitted via a digital interface. The packet data is stored in a first input accumulator of a plurality of input accumulators of the buffer management system. The first input accumulator corresponds to the first packet characteristic. A threshold quantity of packet data is obtained from the first input accumulator responsive to determining that the threshold quantity of packet data is accumulated in the first input accumulator. The threshold quantity of packet data is stored in a line of a shared buffer for the plurality of packets transmitted via the digital interface. The shared buffer is associated with the plurality of packet characteristics.