NanoStreams: Codesigned microservers for edge analytics in real time

Abstract

NanoStreams explores the design, implementation, and system software stack of micro-servers aimed at processing data in-situ and in real time. These micro-servers can serve the emerging Edge computing ecosystem, namely the provisioning of advanced computational, storage, and networking capability near data sources to achieve both low latency event processing and high throughput analytical processing, before considering off-loading some of this processing to high-capacity data centres. Nano Streams explores a scale-out micro-server architecture that can achieve equivalent QoS to that of conventional rack-mounted servers for high-capacity data centres, but with dramatically reduced form factors and power consumption. To this end, Nano Streams introduces novel solutions in programmable & configurable hardware accelerators, as well as the system software stack used to access, share, and program those accelerators. Our Nano Streams micro-server prototype has demonstrated 5.5 x higher energy-efficiency than a standard Xeon Server. Simulations of the micro server's memory system extended to leverage hybrid DDR/NVM main memory indicated 5x higher energy-efficiency than a conventional DDR-based system.