Active Networking at Washington Univ. Project Goal Design and Implement a Prototype of a Scalable, Active Networking Platform supporting Traffic at Gigabit Rates John DeHart Washington University in St. Louis

Goals Building a High Performance Active Network Platform consisting of Scalable Hardware Platform Distributed Code Caching Streamlined Software Platform Applications Automatic Network Protocol Deployment / Revision Large-Scale reliable multicast Congestion control for real-time video and audio High-performance media gateways for real-time multicast audio/video sessions

Status: ANPE Hardware FIXED Active Network Processing Element (ANPE) Pentium CPU >= 32 MB APIC: 1.2 Gbit/s (Out for Fab) Experimental FPGA added to data path Development System has been built and is being tested. Problems with the embedded system programming environment have been uncovered and are being pursued with the vendor. FIXED

Status: ANPE Software Modules and APIs all defined Implementation has begun

ANPE Software Using ABone Anetd detects ANTS identifier and passes packet on to ANTS Gate in IP Processing detects ANEP/ANTS Header and passes packet to anetd IP performs routing function and sends packet out via Packet Scheduler Device Driver detects IP Packet and passes it to IP stack via Packet Classifier ANTS Capsule executes and sends the capsule out via IP

EOY ‘98 Pre-Prototype Plugin Instance processes packet and passes resulting packet to output via Packet Scheduler Incoming Packet with a SAPF Identifier is detected in Device Driver and passed to Selector Dispatcher. Next Step: Add Selector Dispatcher Selector Dispatcher passes it directly to previously created Plugin Instance User Space Kernel Space Code Server sends Plugin to Plugin Requester Active Plugin Loader installs Plugin Class in Plugin Control Unit and informs AFD that it has been loaded AFD creates Plugin instance from Class Active Plugin Loader sends request for new Plugin to Plugin Requester Gate in IP Processing detects DAN flow Packet Plugin Requester sends Plugin to Active Plugin Loader AFD passes packet to Plugin Instance Administrator tells DAN Plugin Mgmt where to find Code Server Plugin Requester sends request for new Plugin to Code Server Plugin Instance processes packet and passes resulting packet to output via Packet Scheduler Active Plugin Loader passes code server configuration command to Plugin Requester AFD processes Packet and determines what Plugins are needed AFD requests needed Plugin from Active Plugin Loader

EOY ‘98 Pre-Prototype User Space Kernel Space