PhD 2nd year panel

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PhD 2nd year panel
A Generic Programming Model for Network
Processors
Part Deux

• Kevin lee

October 2004
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Overview

• The field
• Motivation
• Requirements
• The Approach
• Plan for Final Year
• Timetable

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1.The Field Network Processors

• Designed to fill a gap in network technology
• Highly programmable
• Gigabit speed-routing
• Specialised packet processors

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The IXP1200

• Main points
• MicroEngines
• General Purpose CPU
• Multiple memory types
• Internal gigabit bus
• Programmable Hardware components

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More Network Processors

• Cisco PXF

• EZchip Motorola C-Port NP

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1 Current NP software

• Toolkits for NPs consist of
• Assembler/ C if lucky
• Good simulation/monitoring
• Deployment by hand
• Code managing/replacement by hand
• No design portability whatsoever

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2.Motivation

• Need for generic models and frameworks for
  Network Processors
• Transferable skills
• Better Application design
• Dynamic reconfiguration support in Network
  Processor Software
• Support Active Networks
• Adaptive Security
• Software Updates
• Reconfiguration of forwarding functions

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3. Requirements

• Generic Programming Model
• Uniform Programming Model
• Consistent abstract model and toolsets
• Design Portability
• Runtime Reconfiguration Support
• Lightweight

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4. The Approach

• OpenCOM
• 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!)
• emphasises third-party composition and dynamic
  reconfiguration

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The Approach cont

• OpenCOM enhancements for IXP
• pluggable loaders
• To allow code to be loaded on third party
  platforms
• Pluggable binders
• To allow code to be binded within and between
  different platforms

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5.Plan for Final Year

• Programming Model Implementation
• Component Framework Implementation
• Evaluation
• Thesis writeup

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Programming Model Implementation (current
progress)

• OpenCOM on the IXP1200

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Programming Model Implementation (current
progress)

• Based on IXP1200
• OpenCOM on StrongARM --complete
• Board initialisation and management frameworks
  ---complete
• Fine grained Ue component loading
• Reconfigurable Bridge prototype

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Programming Model Implementation(future work on
IXP2400)

• Differences
• Additional Ingress/Egress engines
• Gigabit Fiber ports
• 2 X Banks of MicroEngines (v2)
• Additional Co-processors
• More advanced Hash unit crypto Unit
• Memory Control unit
• As well as general improvments

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Programming Model Implementation(future work on
IXP2400)

• 1. OpenCOM on IXP2400 Xscale ---complete
• 2. Further develop enabling tools, idl compiler,
  deployment etc. (ongoing)
• 3. Board initialisation and management frameworks
  (ongoing)
• 4. Dealing with gigabit characteristics
• 5. L3 forwarder application scenario
• 6. Reconfiguration Scenarios with L3 forwarder
• application scenarios.

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Component Framework Implementation

• Example CF
• Video detection and scaling framework
• Pluggable component codecs
• Focus on in-band processing whilst maintaining
  speed

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Evaluation

• Evaluation details
• Design Portability/Genericity -gt different
  platforms
• IXP1200 (ARM UeV1)
• IXP2400 (XScale UeV2)
• PC
• AGERE/AMCC..
• others as paper design..
• Reconfiguration -gt CF Application scenarios
• Quantative
• Performance of model and framework

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6.Timetable
Discussion