Measurement- and model-based performance evaluation and speed-up of communications of multiprocessor PC systems in high-speed networks

孟菲斯项目关注的是当前多核PC系统中数据包和协议处理的性能评估和改进方法。在孟菲斯项目中，关键词“PC系统”代表x86兼容的商用硬件（32位和64位系统），这意味着它包括从台式机到高端服务器的各种标准系统。在这些系统上存在用于分组和协议处理的广泛应用，例如用于软件路由器、中间盒应用（NAT、防火墙）或虚拟交换机，其互连虚拟化数据中心中的虚拟机（VM）。特别是通过数据中心虚拟化程度的不断提高以及其他领域的虚拟化趋势（例如网络功能虚拟化，NFV），PC系统中的分组处理是一个高度热门的主题。为了能够使用PC系统在其基本性能限制的限制内进行快速数据传输，驱动程序，网络栈和应用程序需要比以前更好地适应硬件体系结构及其并行化的潜力。在孟菲斯项目目前正在进行的第一阶段，正在调查为此目的需要进行哪些修改，并形成第二阶段的起点，第二阶段是孟菲斯项目的第三年结束。在第一步中，已经开发了模型，这些模型描述了现有系统内硬件和软件之间的交互，并反映了各个处理步骤的资源消耗。同时，对真实的系统进行了测量，以允许模型的参数化和验证。在目前运行的项目的第一阶段，我们试图确定现有系统的性能增强因素和瓶颈，使用我们的模型和执行的测量。在此过程中，模型使我们能够预测不同软件端修改的影响。现在，在项目的第二阶段，我们计划转移第一阶段获得的见解，并使其在实践中可用。这包括实现、执行和评价提高业绩的措施。我们希望在孟菲斯项目的第二阶段为未来网络驱动程序、操作系统和应用程序的开发做出重要贡献。目前，我们的研究具有很高的相关性，因为基于软件的网络组件在许多领域都有很大的潜力来取代昂贵且不灵活的硬件系统。

The MEMPHIS project is concerned with methods for performance evaluation and improvement of the packet- and protocol-processing in current multicore PC systems. In the context of the MEMPHIS project the keyword "PC systems" stands for x86-compatible commodity hardware (32-bit and 64-bit systems), which means it includes diverse standard systems from a desktop machine to a high-end server. There is a broad range of application for packet- and protocol-processing on these systems, e.g. for software routers, middlebox applications (NAT, firewall) or virtual switches, which interconnect virtual machines (VMs) in virtualized data centers. Especially through the increasing degree of virtualization in data centers and also virtualization trends in other areas (e.g. Network Function Virtualization, NFV), packet-processing in PC systems is a highly topical subject.In order to be able to use PC systems for fast data transmission within the limits of their fundamental performance limitations, drivers, network stacks and applications need to be adapted better than before to the hardware architecture and its potential for parallelization. Which modifications are necessary for that purpose is being investigated in the first, currently running phase of the MEMPHIS project and forms the starting point for the second phase, which is the concluding third year of the MEMPHIS project. In a first step, models have already been developed, which describe the interaction between hardware and software inside existing systems and reflect the resource consumption of individual processing steps. In parallel, measurements have been performed on real systems, to permit parametrization and validation of the models. In the currently running first phase of the project we try to identify the performance-enhancing factors and bottlenecks of existing systems using our models and the performed measurements. In doing so, the models allow us to to predict the effects of different software-side modifications.Now, in the second phase of the project, we plan to transfer the insights gained in the first phase and make them usable in practice. This includes the realization, implementation and evaluation of performance-enhancing measures. We wish to make an important contribution for the development of future networking drivers, operating systems and applications in this second phase of the MEMPHIS project. Currently, we see a high relevance of our research, since there is great potential for software-based networking components to replace expensive and inflexible hardware systems in a number of areas.