IP Reservoir, LLC

Washington University

Sharath R Cholleti

Ronald S Indeck

Roger Dean Chamberlain

Mark Allen Franklin

Ron Kaplan Cytron

A system is disclosed that comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a network interface, and hardware description code, wherein the hardware description code is compilable into a plurality of bit configuration files for loading onto the FPGA, wherein each bit configuration file defines a pipelined processing operation for a hardware template. The FPGA comprises configurable hardware logic, and the FPGA can be accessible over a network via the network interface for commanding the FPGA to load a bit configuration file from among the bit configuration files onto the FPGA to thereby configure hardware logic on the FPGA to perform the pipelined processing operation defined by the loaded bit configuration file, and wherein the FPGA is configured to (1) receive streaming data and (2) process the streaming data through the configured hardware logic to perform the pipelined processing operation defined by the loaded bit configuration file on the streaming data.

Intelligent data storage and processing using FPGA devices

A system is disclosed that comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a network interface, and a plurality of hardware templates. The FPGA comprises configurable hardware logic, and the hardware templates define a plurality of different pipelined processing operations. The FPGA can be accessible over a network via the network interface for commanding the FPGA to load a hardware template from among the hardware templates onto the FPGA to thereby configure hardware logic on the FPGA to perform the pipelined processing operation defined by the loaded hardware template, and wherein the FPGA is configured to (1) receive streaming data and (2) process the streaming data through the configured hardware logic to perform the pipelined processing operation defined by the loaded hardware template on the streaming data.

Methods and systems are disclosed where an FPGA offloads a plurality of processing tasks from a processor. The FPGA can process streaming data received via a network interface, and the FPGA can be controllable in response to control instructions received from the processor. The FPGA comprises resident hardware logic for a plurality of data processing engines that are combinable as a processing pipeline within the FPGA. In response to the control instructions, the FPGA can control which of the data processing engines are activated and which of the data processing engines are deactivated to selectively tap into the streaming data to perform pipelined processing operations on the streaming data via the activated data processing engines. The deactivated data processing engines remain on the FPGA and provide a pass through path for the streaming data whereby the deactivated data processing engines do not perform processing operations on streaming data received thereby.

Methods and systems are disclosed where a plurality of precompiled hardware templates are stored in memory, each of the hardware templates being configured for loading onto a re-configurable logic device such as a FPGA to define a data processing operation to be performed by the re-configurable logic device, each of the data processing operations defined by the precompiled hardware templates having an associated performance characteristic. A processor selects a precompiled hardware template from a plurality of the precompiled hardware templates in the memory for loading onto the re-configurable logic device based at least in part on the associated performance characteristics of the data processing operations defined by the precompiled hardware templates.

A re-configurable logic device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) can be used to deploy a data processing pipeline, the pipeline comprising a plurality of pipelined data processing engines, the plurality of pipelined data processing engines being configured to perform processing operations, wherein the pipeline comprises a multi-functional pipeline, and wherein the re-configurable logic device is further configured to controllably activate or deactivate each of the pipelined data processing engines in the pipeline in response to control instructions and thereby define a function for the pipeline, each pipeline function being the combined functionality of each activated pipelined data processing engine in the pipeline.

A re-configurable logic device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) can be used to deploy a data processing pipeline, the pipeline comprising a plurality of pipelined data processing engines, the plurality of pipelined data processing engines including a data reduction engine, the plurality of pipelined data processing engines being configured to perform processing operations, wherein the pipeline comprises a multi-functional pipeline, and wherein the re-configurable logic device is further configured to controllably activate or deactivate each of the pipelined data processing engines in the pipeline in response to control instructions and thereby define a function for the pipeline, each pipeline function being the combined functionality of each activated pipelined data processing engine in the pipeline.

A data storage and retrieval device and method is disclosed. The device includes at least one magnetic storage medium configured to store target data and at least one re-configurable logic device comprising an FPGA coupled to the at least one magnetic storage medium and configured to read a continuous stream of target data therefrom, having been configured with a template or as otherwise desired to fit the type of search and data being searched. The re-configurable logic device is configured to receive at least one search inquiry in the form of a data key and to determine a match between the data key and the target data as it is being read from the at least one magnetic storage medium. This device and method can perform a variety of searches on the target data including without limitation exact and approximate match searches, sequence match searches, image match searches and data reduction searches. This device and method may be provided as part of a stand-alone computer system, embodied in a network attached storage device, or can otherwise be provided as part of a computer LAN or WAN. In addition to performing search and data reduction operations, this device may also be used to perform a variety of other processing operations including encryption, decryption, compression, decompression, and combinations thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Sharath R Cholleti