PhD VIVA

Kevin lee28th July 2006

“OpenNP: A Generic Programming Model for Network Processors”

Brief Introduction

1. HistoryHow did the project come about:

MSc project: “OpenRouter: A Component Framework for Structuring Software Routers”

MSc project: Building Simple PC-based Routers from components

An interest in higher speed and more restrictive routing platforms

Coincidental donation of cutting edge NPs from Intel as I started my PhD

2.The Field: Network Processors Designed to fill a gap in network

technology between ASIC-based routers and PC-based routers

Characteristics Highly Programmable Multi Gigabit Speeds Specialised Packet Processors Variety of Hardware Assists

2. Example: The Intel IXP2400 the thesis implementation example

Main points:•Microengines•General Purpose CPU•Multiple memory types•Internal gigabit bus•Programmable Hardware components•Gigabit Ethernet ports

3. Motivation: Current NP softwareToolkits for NPs consist of: Assembler/ C if lucky Good simulation/monitoring Deployment – by hand Code managing/replacement – by hand No design portability whatsoever No support for runtime reconfiguration

3.Motivation: What would be Ideal? Need for generic models and frameworks

for Network Processors Transferable skills Better Application design Design Portability

Runtime reconfiguration support in Network Processor software Software Updates Supporting Unforeseen Events Load-balancing Support Active Networks

3. The Approach: Component ModelUsing a lightweight Component Model as the

basis: fine-grained and language-independent small run-time (~27K); simple and efficient components are primitive units of

encapsulation and deployment deployed into capsules (for “capsule”, think container rather than active

packet!) Support or Component Frameworks for higher

level features Support for Reflection using meta interfaces

Architecture, Interception, Resources

3. The Approach: Extensions for NPs OpenCOM gives us a lightweight base to build upon Enhancements for NPs

Pluggable loaders To allow code to be loaded on third party processors

Pluggable binders To allow code to be bound within and between

different processors Support for communication channels

To allow proxy loading and binding Deployment Roles

Structure the development process

4. The Approach: Supporting NP features

Demonstrate support of features in different example NPs: Packet Processors Hardware Assists Interconnects and Buses Ports Parallelism Runtime Reconfiguration

5. Publications K. Lee, G. Coulson, “Towards a Generic

Programming Model for Network Processors”, Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Networks (ICON'04), Singapore, November 2004.

K. Lee, G. Coulson, “Supporting Runtime Reconfiguration on Network Processors”, 20th International Conference on Advanced Information Networking and Applications (AINA'06), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria, April 2006.

Open for Discussion