The OpenFAM API: A programming model for disaggregated persistent memory

Abstract

Recent technology advances in high-density, byte-addressable non-volatile memory (NVM) and low-latency interconnects have enabled building large-scale systems with a large disaggregated fabric-attached memory (FAM) pool shared across decentralized compute nodes. The OpenFAM API is an API for programming with persistent FAM that is inspired by the OpenSHMEM partitioned global address space (PGAS) model. Unlike OpenSHMEM, where each node contributes local memory toward a logically shared global address space, FAM isn’t associated with a particular node and can be addressed directly from any node without the cooperation or involvement of another node. The OpenFAM API enables programmers to manage FAM allocations, access FAM-resident data structures, and order FAM operations. Because state in FAM can survive program termination, the API also provides interfaces for naming and managing data beyond the lifetime of a single program invocation.