Where Do We Need Smart NICs?
We did a number of Software Gone Wild podcasts trying to figure out whether smart NICs address a real need or whether it’s just another vendor attempt to explore all potential markets. As expected, we got opposing views from Luke Gorrie claiming a NIC should be as simple as possible to Silvano Gai explaining how dedicated hardware performs the same operations at lower cost, lower power consumption and way higher speeds.
In theory, there’s no doubt that Silvano is right. Just look at how expensive some router line cards are, and try to figure out how much it would cost to get 25.6 Tbps of forwarding performance that we’ll get in a single ASIC (Tomahawk-4) in software (assuming ~10 Gbps per CPU core). High-speed core packet forwarding has to be done in dedicated hardware.


Virtual Open Office is a chance for people to gather and discuss any topics you find interesting. Open to Anyone. No cost or commitment. Just a chance to sit around and talk, like you were in the corridor at a conference. I’ll be there with a coffee/tea or a beer/cocktail (as appropriate) Tuesday, September 15, […]
