The idea behind P4 for NICS is to program the target NICs with the desired analytic functions. Real time dynamic measurement of flows at Network Interface Cards (NICs) is critical for cloud centric service models and service automation. The ability of applications such as security, root cause analysis, big data analytics, and traffic engineering to subscribe to P4 interfaces for adjusting their observability requirements could enable a new wave of applications and opportunities. In this talk we will provide a few use case examples within the context of P4 for carrier (AT&T) CORD-based platform architectures. The new architecture provides an open environment for allowing applications to utilize P4 interfaces for customized measurements. This talk will show how P4-enabled applications can influence embedded VNF functions at NIC cards for real time feedback loops.
*This presentation also has an associated demo: Dynamic Analytics for Programmable NIC’s Utilizing P4 - Identification and Custom Tagging of Elastic Telecoms Traffic*