1. Demonstration of a High Performance Active Router DARPA Demo - 9/24/99
Dan Decasper, John DeHart, Ralph Keller, Jonathan Turner, Sumi Choi and Tilman Wolf Washington University, Applied Research Lab
(best viewed in presentation mode)
Jonathan Turner - 11/17/2018

2. Motivation
Technology advances adding new functionality to internet routers.
logic capabilities growing much faster than IO
packet classification, per flow queueing becoming common
single chip packet processing engines with 16 processors now becoming available
Application-specific processing in routers could become routine.
active networking is one way to exploit trend
alternative model
signalling and resource reservation
packet classification and flow-specific routing
Key challenge is application software.
Need better experimental platforms for researchers.

3. Towards an Open Internet Router
Modular components.
ability to swap components - both hardware and software
routing, signalling, management software
address lookup and packet classification
queueing and packet scheduling
open, documented and straightforward interfaces
Dynamic insertion of application-specific processing.
active networking model and others
High performance.
gigabit links and scalability to large numbers of ports
packet processing rates of at least a million/second per link
application-specific processing on large fraction of traffic
need credible demonstrations to influence commercial practice

4. Active Router Hardware
Control Processor
global coordination & control
routing protocols
build routing tables and other information needed by SPCs
first level code server
reprogrammable for active processing
ANPEs
IPPs
LCs
Switch
OPPs CP
AN Processing Element
APIC
Pentium
Sys. FPGA
32-64 MB
Cache NB
Input Port Processor
VCI
OUT

5. Cell Processing
ANPEs
IPPs
LCs
Switch
OPPs CP 3 4 6 4

6. Packet Processing Switch ANPEs IPPs LCs OPPs CP Sys. FPGA APIC Pentium
Cache NB 9 2 6
Sys. FPGA
APIC
Pentium
Cache NB 9

7. Principal Data Flows Through PE Kernel
Packet Classification and Routing
Packet + Flow Id
IPv4/6 Header Processing
IP Packets
Plain Packets
Kernel Plugins
Active Packets
. . .
Active Function Dispatcher
Driver
Packet Scheduler
Driver
. . .
. . .
SAPF Packet
Selector/ Dispatcher
. . .
. . .
. . .
Resource Controller
Std. proc. for “plain” IP packets.
classification & routing, header processing, output queueing
Active packets move through configured kernel plugins.
active function dispatcher passes packets to instances of plugin objects
instantiates objects or triggers download of plugin class, as needed
streamlined processing of SAPF packets using pre-established state

8. System Level Software Organization
anetd
Java VM
ANTS
Active Plugin Loader
Plugin Requestor
Plugin DB Controller
Policy Controller
Security Gateway
ANN Manager
Plugin DB
Key DB
Routing & Signalling
Control Processor
Kernel
Code Server
Active Code DB
Security & Policy Controller
Switch Fabric
Processing Elements
Policy Rules

9. Physical ConfigurationSE
Processor Module
APIC
System FPGA
Connectors
Optoelectronics
Transmission Coder & Decoder
Fiber jumper to front panel
Main Circuit Board

10. Active Congestion Control for Video
Based on wavelet-based encoding method (WaveVideo)
up to hundreds of distinct frequency subbands (33)
low frequencies: general image definition
high frequencies: image details
Active WaveVideo plugin
detects congestion
discards packets in high frequency subbands first
Better performance than layered multicast
requires large number of multicast groups
reacts too slowly to congestion ( several seconds)

11. WaveVideo Scaling 33011 bytes (33) 25239 bytes (30) 17179 bytes (27)

12. “Logical” Demonstration Configuration
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3 P
Video Source
ANPE
ANPE
Cross Traffic Source 1
Cross Traffic Source 2
Cross Traffic Sink
Code Server Key Server

13. Video Performance (light cross traffic)
Original Video
“Plain” Queueing
Active Queueing
MPEG video player required for playback.

14. Video Performance (heavy cross traffic)
Original Video
“Plain” Queueing
Active Queueing
MPEG video player required for playback.

15. Demo Instrumentation (simplified)
no loss
plain queueing
high frequency subbands
low frequency subbands
grey level shows amount of data received
white: nothing received
black: everything received
active dropping
time

16. Demonstration Start Video Source Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Cross Traffic Source 2
Code Server Key Server
ANPE

17. Light Cross Traffic - “Plain” Queueing
Video Source
Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Cross Traffic Source 2
Code Server Key Server
ANPE

18. Light Cross Traffic - “Plain” Queueing
First Display (no cross traffic)
Second Display (with cross traffic)
Third Display (with cross traffic)

19. Heavy Cross Traffic - “Plain” Queueing
Video Source
Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Code Server Key Server
ANPE
Cross Traffic Source 2

20. Heavy Cross Traffic - “Plain” Queueing
First Display (no cross traffic)
Second Display (light cross traffic)
Third Display (heavy cross traffic)

21. Light Cross Traffic - Active Queueing
Video Source
Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Cross Traffic Source 2
Code Server Key Server
ANPE P

22. Light Cross Traffic - Active Queueing
First Display (no cross traffic)
Second Display (with cross traffic)
Third Display (with cross traffic)

23. Heavy Cross Traffic - Active Queueing
Video Source
Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Code Server Key Server
ANPE P
Cross Traffic Source 2

24. Heavy Cross Traffic - Active Queueing
First Display (no cross traffic)
Second Display (light cross traffic)
Third Display (heavy cross traffic)

25. Bursty Cross Traffic - “Plain” Queueing
Video Source
Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Cross Traffic Source 2
Code Server Key Server
ANPE
2.4 MB bursts, 2 second idle time

26. Bursty Cross Traffic - “Plain” Queueing
First Display (no cross traffic)
Second Display (with cross traffic)
Third Display (with cross traffic)

27. Bursty Cross Traffic - Active Queueing
Video Source
Cross Traffic Source 1
Video Display 1
Video Display 2
Video Display 3
Cross Traffic Sink
Cross Traffic Source 2
Code Server Key Server
ANPE P
2.4 MB bursts, 2 second idle time

28. Bursty Cross Traffic - Active Queueing
First Display (no cross traffic)
Second Display (with cross traffic)
Third Display (with cross traffic)

29. Credits Sumi Choi Ed Spitznagel Ralph Keller Dan Decasper Dave Taylor
Dave Richard
John Dehart
Tilman Wolf