Composition Framework for Packet-processing Programs

Research Area: Programmable Networks, P4, Compilers, Automata Theory, Equivalence checking, Bisimulation, Design By Contract, Hoare Logic.

Description:

The state-of-the-art packet-processing languages, like P4, and hardware architectures lack mechanisms that allow them to create and reuse code libraries. My current focus is on enabling a modular approach for the development of network programs. The goal is to build a composition framework for network programs developed for programmable switches and edge hosts with SmartNICs.

Under this project, we

  1. Develop optimized composition mechanisms for data plane of network programs. The work advances my prior research, μP4, and P4Bricks, on data plane of programmable networks.
  2. Design and develop control-plane APIs with well-defined semantics for library modules of network programs to configure data-plane objects in a coordinated way.
  3. Develop composable abstractions for programming packet-processing devices at the network edge.

We aim to use the framework for incremental and modular development of new services and applications for 5G networks. Also, the framework can integrate novel applications (performing in-network computing or caching) with packet-processing applications required in the networks.

Interested graduate students, postdocs and researchers can contact me at hardik.soni@neclab.eu