IP Library Granted Patent US 12,445,524
Granted Patent B2
US 12,445,524 · App. 17/485,040 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Methods and apparatus to share memory across distributed coherent edge computing system

Inventors: Francesc Guim Bernat (Barcelona, ES); Karthik Kumar (Chandler, AZ); Thomas Willhalm (Sandhausen, DE)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H04L67/1097G06F12/0828G06F13/1668G06F13/36G06F2212/621G06F2213/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,445,524
App. No.
17/485,040
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed that reduce latency and bandwidth consumption when sharing memory across a distributed coherent Edge computing system. The distributed coherent Edge computing system disclosed herein configures a compute express link (CXL) endpoint to share data between memories across an Edge platform. The CXL endpoint configures coherent memory domain(s) of memory addresses, which are initialized from an Edge device connected to the Edge platform. The CXL endpoint also configures coherency rule(s) for the coherent memory domain(s). The CXL endpoint is implemented to snoop the Edge platform in response to read and write requests from the Edge device. The CXL endpoint selectively snoops memory addresses within the coherent memory domain(s) that are defined as coherent based on the coherency rule(s).

Claims (50)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one memory;

instructions in the apparatus; and

at least one processor circuit to execute the instructions to:

configure a compute express link (CXL) endpoint to facilitate communication, via a CXL interconnect, between a first Edge compute node including a first memory and a second Edge compute node including a second memory, the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node to form an Edge platform;

configure a coherent memory domain between the first memory and the second memory, the coherent memory domain including first memory addresses associated with first data from an Edge device that is to remain coherent across the Edge platform;

configure a coherency rule of the coherent memory domain, the coherency rule to define a level of coherency for the coherent memory domain;

configure at least one of the first Edge compute node or the second Edge compute node to be a home Edge compute node, main memory of the home Edge compute node to store the first data, the first memory addresses associated with the first data, and identifiers of the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node; and

snoop the CXL interconnect for second data at second memory addresses within the coherent memory domain, the second data permitted to be shared based on the coherency rule.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to configure network interface controller (NIC) hardware to operate as the CXL endpoint.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to configure the CXL endpoint to connect the Edge platform via the CXL interconnect in response to the Edge device connecting to a CXL-enabled edge compute node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to configure the coherent memory domain using a coherency protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to configure the coherency rule using a coherency protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to implement the CXL endpoint to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a read request from the Edge device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to implement the CXL endpoint to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a write request from the Edge device.

8. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause at least one processor circuit to at least: configure a compute express link (CXL) endpoint to facilitate communication, via a CXL interconnect, between a first Edge compute node including a first memory and a second Edge compute node including a second memory, the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node to form an Edge platform;

configure a coherent memory domain between the first memory and the second memory, the coherent memory domain including first memory addresses associated with first data from an Edge device that is to remain coherent across the Edge platform;

configure a coherency rule of the coherent memory domain, the coherency rule to define a level of coherency for the coherent memory domain;

configure at least one of the first Edge compute node or the second Edge compute node to be a home Edge compute node, main memory of the home Edge compute node to store the first data, the first memory addresses of associated with the first data, and identifiers of the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node; and

snoop the CXL interconnect for second data at second memory addresses within the coherent memory domain, the second data permitted to be shared based on the coherency rule.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to configure network interface controller (NIC) hardware to operate as the CXL endpoint.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to configure the CXL endpoint to connect the Edge platform via the CXL interconnect in response to the Edge device connecting to a CXL-enabled edge compute node.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to configure the coherent memory domain using a coherency protocol.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to configure the coherency rule using a coherency protocol.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to implement the CXL endpoint to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a read request from the Edge device.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to implement the CXL endpoint to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a write request from the Edge device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for configuring a compute express link (CXL) endpoint to facilitate communication, via a CXL interconnect, between a first Edge compute node including a first memory and a second Edge compute node including a second memory, the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node to form an Edge platform, the means for configuring to:

configure a coherent memory domain between the first memory and the second memory, the coherent memory domain including first memory addresses associated with first data from an Edge device that is to remain coherent across the Edge platform;

configure a coherency rule to define a level of coherency for the coherent memory domain;

configure at least one of the first Edge compute node or the second Edge compute node to be a home Edge compute node, main memory of the home Edge compute node to store the first data, the first memory addresses associated with the first data, and identifiers of the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node; and

means for snooping second data at second memory addresses within the coherent memory domain, the second data to be consistent based on the coherency rule.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for configuring is to configure network interface controller (NIC) hardware to operate as the CXL endpoint.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for configuring is to configure the CXL endpoint to connect the Edge platform via the CXL interconnect.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for configuring is to determine the coherent memory domain using a coherency protocol.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for configuring is to determine the coherency rule using a coherency protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for snooping is to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a read request from the Edge device.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for snooping is to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a write request from the Edge device.

22. A method comprising:

configuring a compute express link (CXL) endpoint to facilitate communication, via a CXL interconnect, between a first Edge compute node including a first memory and a second Edge compute node including a second memory, the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node to form an Edge platform;

configuring a coherent memory domain between the first memory and the second memory, the coherent memory domain including first memory addresses associated with first data from an Edge device that is to remain coherent across the Edge platform;

configuring a coherency rule of the coherent memory domain, the coherency rule to define a level of coherency for the coherent memory domain;

configuring at least one of the first Edge compute node or the second Edge compute node to be a home Edge compute node, main memory of the home Edge compute node to store the first data, the first memory addresses associated with the first data, and identifiers of the first Edge compute node and the second Edge compute node; and

snooping the CXL interconnect for second data at second memory addresses within the coherent memory domain, the second data permitted to be shared based on the coherency rule.

23. The method of claim 22 , including configuring network interface controller (NIC) hardware to operate as the CXL endpoint.

24. The method of claim 22 , including configuring the CXL endpoint to connect the Edge platform via the CXL interconnect in response to the Edge device connecting to a CXL-enabled edge compute node.

25. The method of claim 22 , including configuring the coherent memory domain using a coherency protocol.

26. The method of claim 22 , including configuring the coherency rule using a coherency protocol.

27. The method of claim 22 , including implementing the CXL endpoint to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a read request from the Edge device.

28. The method of claim 22 , including implementing the CXL endpoint to snoop the CXL interconnect in response to a write request from the Edge device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: GUIM BERNAT, FRANCESC; KUMAR, KARTHIK; WILLHALM, THOMAS
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059255/0359 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220014588A1 · Jan 13, 2022
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