Concept for providing access to remote memory

A network interface controller apparatus comprising interface circuitry and processing circuitry, wherein the network interface controller apparatus is configured to communicate with another host via a Compute Express Link (CXL), wherein the processing circuitry includes a memory router and a memory translation table, and is to:

• obtain a CXL.mem memory transaction request with respect to memory of a second host from a first host hosting the network interface controller apparatus;
• have the memory router look up a network address of the second host in the memory translation table based on the CXL.mem memory transaction request and provide the CXL.mem memory transaction request to the second host based on the network address;
• obtain information on a response to a CXL.cache transaction request from the second host in response to the CXL.mem memory transaction request;
• and
• have the memory router translate the information on the response to the CXL.cache transaction request into a response suitable for the CXL.mem memory transaction request and provide the response to the first host.

A method for a network interface controller, wherein the network interface controller apparatus is configured to communicate with another host via a Compute Express Link (CXL), the method comprising:

• obtaining a CXL.mem memory transaction request with respect to memory of a first host hosting the network interface controller from a second host;
• translating, by a snoop agent in the network interface controller, the CXL.mem memory transaction request to a CXL.cache transaction request, wherein the CXL.cache transaction request enables the first host to manage cache coherency for the memory of the first host in a host-bias mode;
• providing the CXL.cache transaction request to the first host;
• obtaining a response to the CXL.cache transaction request from the first host;
• and
• providing information on the response to the CXL.cache transaction request to the second host.