Collaborative Research: CNS Core: Large: Runtime Programmable Networks

可编程性是网络创新的动力。在今天的可编程网络中，新功能可以很容易地开发，而不必依赖于供应商的支持。然而，部署新功能仍然需要全面的维护，以避免由于设备重新编程导致停机而造成的中断。这严重限制了更改的速度，因为维护操作需要提前进行细致的规划。这个项目提出了运行时可编程网络，其中端到端网络基础设施，垂直地从主机内核向下到网络接口卡，横向地跨越交换机延伸到网络的另一端，可以动态地重新编程，没有数据包丢失，并且具有强一致性保证。这代表了今天的可编程网络的一个重大飞跃，可编程网络在编译时可重新配置，但在部署后的运行时成为固定功能。根据该项目的愿景FlexNet，网络基础设施提供了一系列基本实用程序，并且根据需要，可以通过注入、删除或覆盖特定功能来部分地重新配置基础设施中的扩展。这加快了向最终用户交付新功能的速度，通过降低更改的障碍增加了大型网络的可管理性，并创造了当今可编程网络中不可用的新可能性，例如强大的动态安全防御。使用FlexNet，该项目可以在需要时精确地将安全防御部署到网络中。防御可以迁移到攻击位置或跨网络复制，以最大限度地发挥其效力。它们甚至可以实时变形，以减轻不断变化的攻击。当攻击平息后，这些防御可以很快从网络中移除，以减少开销。该项目旨在将网络编程从编译时的“一次性”努力提升到整个网络生命周期的“连续”活动。为了实现我们的愿景，这个项目需要跨堆栈进行创新。具体地说，这个项目提出了一个四管齐下的方法来编程、编译、验证和管理端到端的运行时可编程网络。首先，运行时网络编程需要控制不同的数据路径及其实时变化，同时确保跨设备的运行时可移植性；因此，这个项目将开发一个新的编程系统。将整个网络程序编译到异构基板上，同时不断地对运行时变化进行重新优化，这需要一种新的编译器设计。为保证网络变更的安全性，本项目必须在运行时验证和验证上同步创新。最后，FlexNet程序在网络中具有动态足迹——跨设备迁移、扩展和收缩——因此该项目需要一个新的管理系统来控制这种前所未有的动态。该项目将产生一个综合平台，在这个平台上，FlexNet技术将在不同规模和不同工作负载下进行全面评估。为了获得更广泛的社区参与，该项目将发布开源软件和硬件原型以及教育材料，并通过与行业合作伙伴的合作，该项目将把FlexNet技术转化为实践。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Programmability is fuel for network innovation. In today’s programmable networks, new features can be easily developed without having to rely on vendor support. However, deploying new features still requires fleet-wide maintenance to avoid disruption because device reprogramming incurs downtime. This severely constrains the speed of change, as maintenance operations require meticulous planning well ahead of time. This project proposes runtime programmable networks, where the end-to-end network infrastructure, vertically from the host kernels down to the network interface cards, and horizontally extending across switches to the other end of the network, can be reprogrammed on-the-fly without packet drops and with strong consistency guarantees. This represents a major leap from today’s programmable networks, which are reconfigurable at compile time but become fixed functions at runtime after deployment.According to this project's vision, FlexNet, the network infrastructure provides a collection of basic utilities and, on demand, extensions are partially reconfigured into the infrastructure by injecting, removing, or overriding specific functions. This accelerates the speed of delivering new features to end users, increases the manageability of large networks by lowering the barrier for change, and creates new possibilities unavailable in today’s programmable networks, such as powerful, dynamic security defenses. With FlexNet, this project can summon security defenses into the network precisely when needed. Defenses can migrate to the attack location or replicate across the network to maximize their effectiveness. They can even shapeshift in real time to mitigate changing attacks. When attacks subside, these defenses can be soon removed from the network to reduce overhead. This project aims to elevate network programming from a “one-shot” endeavor at compile time to “continuous” activities throughout the lifecycle of the network.In order to realize our vision, this project needs to innovate across the stack. Concretely, this project proposes a four-pronged approach to programing, compiling, verifying, and managing runtime programmable networks end-to-end. First, runtime network programming requires controlling disparate datapaths and their real-time changes as a whole, while ensuring runtime portability across devices; thus, this project will develop a new programming system. Compiling a whole-network program to a heterogeneous substrate, while continuously reoptimizing for runtime changes, requires a new compiler design. To ensure the safety of network changes, this project must simultaneously innovate on runtime verification and validation. Finally, FlexNet programs have dynamic footprints in the network—migrating, expanding, and shrinking across devices—so this project needs a new management system to control such unprecedented dynamics. This project will produce an integrated platform upon which the FlexNet techniques will be evaluated comprehensively at various scales and with diverse workloads. To achieve a wider community engagement, this project will release software and hardware prototypes and educational materials in open source, and by collaborating with industry partners, this project will transition the FlexNet technologies into practice.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.