Title:
Programmable Network Processors -- an opportunity for proactive networking 

Speaker: Raj Yavatkar, Intel Corporation

Abstract:

With the rapid adoption of ubiquitous Internet access for
e-business, mission-critical processes and operations are now moving to the
Internet. More and more businesses use the Internet for supply chain
management, customer service, and intra-enterprise operations. This movement
has redefined the notion of the "network edge" by requiring almost every
network node to deploy some or all of the sophisticated network services
such as VPNs, intrusion detection, load balancing, and differentiated
services. Such services require more per-packet processing and flexibility
to upgrade functionality of nodes in the field.  Moreover, the IP-based
networks are no longer passive packet forwarders, but entities that must
proactively respond to network dynamics to ensure high-availability and
security.
This trend is accompanied by the commercially availability of network
processors that offer an alternative to the fixed-function ASICs by
providing programmability and flexibility. We will explore the concept of
network processors (NPUs) and their impact on traditional networking. We
will also describe the opportunities for advanced research in building
proactive networks.