1. Supercharged PlanetLab Platform, Control Overview
Fred Kuhns
Applied Research Laboratory
Washington University in St. Louis

2. Fast Path/Slow Path Architecture
Remote Login Interface
Application Manager
out-of-band control
shared server
exception packets & in-band control
exception packets & in-band control
Control Interface
Filters
Parse
Lookup
Hdr Format
output interfaces
input interfaces
...
...
...
Queue Manager
Fast Path

3. Prototype Organization
GPE
NPE LC
RTM
Switch
Lookup
(2 ME)
ExtRx
IntTx
Queue Manager
Key
Extract
Hdr
Format
(1 ME)
IntRx
ExtTx
Rate
Monitor
TCAM
DRAM
SRAM
external interface
switch interface
ingress side
egress side
Lookup
(1 ME) Rx Tx
Queue Manager
(2 ME)
Key
Extract
Hdr
Format
TCAM
DRAM
SRAM
One NP blade (with RTM) implements Line Card
separate ingress/egress pipelines
Second NP hosts multiple slice fast-paths
multiple static code options for diverse slices
configurable filters and queues
GPEs run standard Planetlab OS with vServers

4. Development System Network Processor blades General purpose blades
dual IXP 2850 NPs
3xRDRAM, 3xSRAM, TCAM
dual 10GE interfaces
10x1GE IO interfaces
General purpose blades
dual Xeons, 4xGigE, disk
10 Gb/s Ethernet switch
VLANs for traffic isolation

5. System Block Diagram … … … External Interfaces SPP Node NPE NPE GPE
RTM
RTM
10 x 1GbE
NPE
NPE
GPE
GPE LC LC
PCI
xscale
PLab OS
xscale
xscale
xscale … … …
NPU-A
TCAM
NPU-B
2x1GE
2x1GE
NPU-A
NPU-B
interface X X
Fabric Ethernet Switch (10Gbps, data path)
Base Ethernet Switch (1Gbps, control)
I2C
(IPMI)
Control Processor (CP)
“Extern” GPEs
myPLC*
Global Node manager (GNM)
Resource DB
user login info
Shelf manager
Global Resource Manager (GRM)

6. Default Traffic Configurations
external interface to fabric and base (additional GPEs)
Control messages sent over an isolated base Ethernet switch. For isolation and security PE
NPE
GPE
LNM
Line card performs NAT like function for traffic from vservers. … MP
LRM
root context
planetlab OS 4 3 2 1 x x x x
10GbE (fabric, data) 5 6
1GbE (base, control) x x
Substrate LC
mux CP
GRM
user login info
GNM
Resource DB
PLC
Default: traffic forwarded to CP over 10Gbps Ethernet switch (aka fabric)
myPLC*

7. Logging Into a Slice … LNM Host LRM MPPE
NPE
GPE
LNM
Host
(located within node) … MP
LRM
root context
planetlab OS
Once authenticated, session forwarded to appropriate GPE and vserver. 4 3 2 1 x x x x
10GbE (fabric, data) 5 6
1GbE (base, control) x x
Substrate LC
mux CP
GRM
ssh fwder
user login info
GNM
Resource DB
ssh connection directed to CP for user authentication
PLC
myPLC*

8. Update Local Slice DefinitionsPE
NPE
GPE
LNM
Host
(located within node) … MP
LRM
root context
planetlab OS 4 3 2 1 x x x x
10GbE (fabric, data) 5 6
1GbE (base, control) x x
Substrate
update local database, allocate slice instances (slivers) to GPE nodes LC
mux CP
GRM
user login info
GNM
Resource DB
retrieve/update slice
descriptions
PLC
myPLC*
slices ...
slices ...
slices ...
slices ...

9. Creating Local Slice Instance
create new slice
retrieve/update slice
descriptions
slices ... PE
NPE
GPE
LNM
Host
(located within node) … MP
LRM
root context
planetlab OS 4 3 2 1 x x x x
10GbE (fabric, data) 5 6
1GbE (base, control) x x
Substrate LC
mux CP
GRM
user login info
GNM
Resource DB
PLC
myPLC*
slices ...
slices ...
slices ...

10. Allocating NPE (Creating Meta-Router)
Allocate NPE sliver {code option, SRAM, Interfaces/Ports, etc}
Open local socket for exception and local delivery traffic; return to client vserver
NPE
FP - fast path
lkup
tbl
Control Interface
Fast Path
...
SRAM
TCAM PE
GPE
LNM
Host
(located within node) …
FPk MP
LRM
root context
planetlab OS
Forward request to global resource manager
Returns status and assigned global Port number 4 3 2 1 x
VLANk x x x
10GbE (fabric, data) 5 6
1GbE (base, control) x x
Substrate LC
mux CP
MI1
GRM
user login info
GNM
Resource DB
Allocate shared NPE resources, associate with new slice fast path {SRAM block; # filter table entries; # of queues queues; # of packet buffers; code option; amount of SRAM required; total reserved bandwidth}
Allocate global UDP port for requested interface(s); configure Line card.
PLC
myPLC*
Allocate and Enable VLAN to isolate internal slice traffic, VLANk

11. Managing the Data Path Allocate or Delete NPE Slice instance
Add, remove or alter filters
each slice is allocated a portion of the NPE’s TCAM
Read or write to per slice memory blocks in SRAM
each slice is allocated a block of SRAM
Read counters
one time or periodic
Set Queue rate or threshold.
Get queue lengths
NPE
SRAM
TCAM
GPE
LNM
DPl
DPl
FPk MP
LRM
root context
planetlab OS 2 1 x x
10GbE (fabric, data) 6
1GbE (base, control) x CP
GRM
user login info
GNM
Resource DB
myPLC*
FP - fast path