Cloud Nets

Episode 5 Networking-Optimized

December 28, 2021 DriveNets Season 1 Episode 5
Cloud Nets
Episode 5 Networking-Optimized
Show Notes Transcript

What is networking-optimized?
It is taking networking functions and running them on networking-optimized infrastructure.
Watch the video!

Hi, you're back.

You couldn't resist it. 

Welcome to Cloud Nets, where networks meet cloud.

And today we're going to talk about Networking Optimized.

And for that we brought our Networking Optimized Expert: Run.

Thank you for joining. -Thank you for inviting me.

 

What's Networking Optimized? Because if you look at the long answer, Networking Optimized is taking network functions, usually data plane functions and running them on Networking Optimized Infrastructure. Infrastructure that includes ASIC's, NPU's, that optimize the way we handled networking functions.

 

So let's talk about the short answer.

Ok. So I will break it down into 3 pillars.

First is NPU offload,  then Compute and Networking  and then footprint at the edge, right?

And I'll explain each and every one of them.

 

First of NPU offload. 

Network functions need to run on network oriented devices.

I mean, you can do anything you want  on a CPU in terms of its flexibility,  but it's not really efficient. So you want to have network oriented operations done by a network oriented device. And this is where the NPU comes into play. In terms of efficiency, it's a one to 10 more efficient process than running it on a CPU. 

So if you try to run it on a server,  you'll end up with 10 times the size and footprint?

Exactly. 10 times the footprint. More or less 10 times the footprint.

 

Second is about the computer networking.

Wherever you have an instance of compute cloud meets the network, you have an operational hazard.  Right? And there are a lot of elements. There is a lot of orchestration that needs to be put into place. There is a lot of management elements that need to be orchestrated and handled into this interface. This is cumbersome. What we are doing or what we are trying to do is interleave the network into the compute instance.

So this interface, this painful interface, will cease to exist.

 

Number 3 is about the footprint at the edge.

You do need compute at the edge.  It makes a lot of sense. Edge compute is all over the place. But adding more equipment into this location, which is already very tightly packed and very scarce in terms of in terms of real estate, is difficult. So taking the existing equipment that you already have in place and utilizing it to the maximum effect of it and it has some compute in it makes a lot more sense than just pouring more and more servers into that same location.

 

One, two, three. 

Ok, so now we know what is networking optimized.

Basically, you need to remember: it's about NPU offload, it's about compute and networking infrastructure, and it's about the footprint at your age sites.

 

Thank you very much for watching. Thank you for explaining.

See you next time.