Efficient RDMA Communication Protocols

TL;DR

This paper categorizes RDMA data exchange protocols, analyzing their features and implications to help developers optimize networked systems and reduce redundant efforts in protocol implementation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive categorization and analysis of RDMA data exchange protocols, highlighting their features and system implications.

Findings

Protocols vary significantly in capabilities and performance.

Categorization aids developers in selecting suitable RDMA protocols.

Insights help optimize memory and network management in RDMA systems.

Abstract

Developers of networked systems often work with low-level RDMA libraries to tailor network modules to take full advantage of offload capabilities offered by RDMA-capable network controllers. Because of the huge design space of networked data access protocols and variability in capabilities of RDMA infrastructure, developers tend to reinvent and reimplement common data exchange protocols, wasting months of development yet missing various performance and system capabilities. In this work, we summarise and categorize RDMA data exchange protocols and elaborate on what features they can offer to networked systems and what implications they have on their memory and network management.