Title: The Offloading Dilemma: Exploring the Boundaries of Programmable Data Planes
Speaker: Francisco Vogt, University of Campinas, Brazil
Time: Thu, Oct. 9, at 10:00
Place: seminar room 1977
Abstract:
In-Network Computing (INC) is transforming how we design and evaluate modern networks by enabling programmable data planes to execute computational tasks at line rate. However, deciding which functions to offload, to which device, and using which strategy remains a non-trivial challenge.
My PhD research explores the opportunities, challenges, and boundaries of offloading network functions and application logic to programmable switches and SmartNICs. Through a series of case studies, we investigate how INC-based approaches can improve both network efficiency and application performance, while also highlighting the trade-offs in terms of resource utilization and system complexity.
My talk includes a brief summary about our recent efforts on several interconnected topics, including network digital twins, queue management, RAN acceleration, VNFs offloading, and telemetry mechanisms that extend beyond the network to include applications and servers. It also covers efforts in network emulation using programmable switches and SmartNICs, as well as traffic generation tailored for performance evaluation and reproducible experimentation.
Additionally, I will provide a brief introduction of SMARTNESS, our 10-years Engineering Research Center (ERC), the first ERC in the Telecom area in Brazil.