Microsoft patents smarter network routing for AI training tasks
Microsoft describes a system that uses a central controller to plan how data moves across a network during machine learning tasks. It assigns specific network paths to different data streams to maximize bandwidth and adjusts these routes if the network conditions change.
In the filing’s own words
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for flow scheduling of machine learning workloads. The systems and methods use prior knowledge of the traffic patterns for machine learning workloads and the network topology to schedule the flows of the machine learning workloads. A centralized controller leverages the knowledge of the traffic patterns for the machine learning workloads to guide per-flow routing decisions for the machine learning workflows to schedule the flows across all available network paths to fully utilize network bandwidth capacity.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method, comprising: receiving, from a controller, a routing schedule for a machine learning workload that maps data packets of each flow of the machine learning workload to machines in a network using an application identifier encoded into a source port field of a packet header of the data packets; forwarding each flow of the machine learning workload across paths in the network to machines based on the source port; monitoring the network for changes; and adjusting a path of a flow of the machine learning workload in response to detecting a network change.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- FLOW SCHEDULING FOR MACHINE LEARNING WORKLOADS
- Publication number
- US20260270197A1
- Application number
- 19664342
- Filed
- Apr 30, 2026
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H04L 45/38 Electricity & electronicsH04L 45/24 Electricity & electronicsH04L 45/28 Electricity & electronicsH04L 47/125 Electricity & electronicsH04L 47/6225 Electricity & electronicsH04L 69/22 Electricity & electronicsMore from Microsoft in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.