TheLocal Route Header (LRH)in InfiniBand is termed "local" because it is used exclusively for routing packets within a single subnet. The LRH contains the destination and source Local Identifiers (LIDs), which are unique within a subnet, facilitating efficient routing without the need for global addressing. This design optimizes performance and simplifies routing within localized network segments.
InfiniBand is a high-performance, low-latency interconnect technology widely used in AI and HPC data centers, supported by NVIDIA’s Quantum InfiniBand switches and adapters. The Local Routing Header (LRH) is a critical component of the InfiniBand packet structure, used to facilitate routing within an InfiniBand fabric. The question asks why the LRH is called a “local header,” which relates to its role in the InfiniBand network architecture.
According to NVIDIA’s official InfiniBand documentation, the LRH is termed “‘local’ because it contains the addressing information necessary for routing packets between nodes within the same InfiniBand subnet.” The LRH includes fields such as the Source Local Identifier (SLID) and Destination Local Identifier (DLID), which are assigned by the subnet manager to identify the source and destination endpoints within the local subnet. These identifiers enable switches to forward packets efficiently within the subnet without requiring global routing information, distinguishing the LRH from the Global Routing Header (GRH), which is used for inter-subnet routing.
Exact Extract from NVIDIA Documentation:
“The Local Routing Header (LRH) is used for routing InfiniBand packets within a single subnet. It contains the Source LID (SLID) and Destination LID (DLID), which are assigned by the subnet manager to identify the source and destination nodes in the local subnet. The LRH is called a ‘local header’ because it facilitates intra-subnet routing, enabling switches to forward packets based on LID-based forwarding tables.”
—NVIDIA InfiniBand Architecture Guide
This extract confirms that option A is the correct answer, as the LRH’s primary function is to route traffic between nodes within the local subnet, leveraging LID-based addressing. The term “local” reflects its scope, which is limited to a single InfiniBand subnet managed by a subnet manager.