What Is Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)?

(RDMA) is a term that sounds like something you might see on a small piece of paper taped to a big machine in the back of an IT department, but it will change everything you know about how computers interact. Sounds too good to be true? Well, you're right: It is too good to be true. Yet it's real. Real. And it's happening right now. Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) is a term used in IT to describe systems that allow different networked computers to send one another's data without impacting the operating system of either machine. The machines don't have to be on the same network. They can be connected via the internet! Remote" means that these two computers aren't physically next to each other. That's why it's called remote direct memory access. The first part, remote, means they're not next to each other. The second part, "direct memory access," means they don't have to go through any middlemen or third parties. RDMA, or Remote Direct Memory Access, is a concept that can be used to transfer data between networked computers. It's a way to speed up network performance and efficiency by eliminating the need for additional steps in communicating information. The method of RDMA allows data to be read directly from the memory of one computer and placed directly into another computer's memory. It means it can be accessed quicker than if all data had been copied from one machine to another. RDMA can be used for zero-copy networking, where data gets read directly from one computer's main memory and inserted into another networked machine's main memory. These types of processes can improve performance and maintain more efficient data transfer. Device manufacturers may talk about RDMA as a feature of components that will allow this kind of data transfer. Experts may speak about how strategies like RDMA can help make local area networks or other small networks faster and more efficient.