Short for remote direct memory access (DMA), a communications technique that allows data to be transmitted from the memory of one computer to the memory of another computer without passing through either device s CPU, without needing extensive buffering, and without calling to an operating system kernel. RDMA is a response to increasing demands for network speed. Data can be transferred faster when it does not have to pass through the CPU.
Infiniband is an example of a form of RDMA. Applications of RDMA include clustering and storage and networking for data centers.
