1. NetFPGA - an open network development platform
Presented by:
Andrew W. Moore (University of Cambridge)
MSN2008
(some slides courtesy John W. Lockwood)

2. What is the NetFPGA? Networking Software running on a standard PC
PC with NetFPGA
Networking Software
running on a standard PC
CPU
Memory
PCI
A hardware accelerator
built with Field Programmable Gate Array driving Gigabit network links
FPGA
Memory
1GE
NetFPGA Board

3. Introduction
Don’t think of this as an FPGA thing, just as programmable hardware.
Who uses the NetFPGA
Educators
Students
Researchers
How they use the NetFPGA
To run the Router Kit
To build modular reference designs
IPv4 router
4-port NIC
Ethernet switch, …
To create new networking systems

4. Usage #1
How is the NetFPGA Used? User-space development, 4x1GE line-rate forwarding
OSPF
BGP
My Protocol
user
kernel
Routing
Table
CPU
Memory
PCI
“Mirror”
IPv4
Router
1GE
Fwding
Table
Packet
Buffer
FPGA
Memory
1GE

5. How to use a NetFPGA in a Network?
Internet
Gateway
Network
Servers
running
and web services
Network of NetFPGA Routers
Gigabit Ethernet
Links
Clusters of PCs and Workstations accessing servers and running Peer-to-Peer applications

6. Building Modular Router Modules
Usage #2
NetFPGA Driver
PW-OSPF
Verilog
EDA Tools
(Xilinx,
Mentor, etc.)
Design
Simulate
Synthesize
Download
CPU
Memory
Java GUI
Front Panel
(Extensible)
PCI
In Q
Mgmt IP
Lookup L2
Parse L3
Out Q
1GE
Verilog modules interconnected by FIFO interfaces
1GE
FPGA
1GE
1GE My
Block
Memory
1GE

7. (1GE MAC is soft/replaceable)
Creating new systems
Usage #3
NetFPGA Driver
1GE
My Design
(1GE MAC is soft/replaceable)
Verilog
EDA Tools
(Xilinx,
Mentor, etc.)
Design
Simulate
Synthesize
Download
CPU
Memory
PCI
1GE
FPGA
1GE
1GE
Memory
1GE

8. Try the NetFPGA at a Tutorial
Next Tutorial : September 15-16, in Cambridge

9. NetFPGA in the Classroom
Stanford University
EE109 “Build an Ethernet Switch”
Undergraduate Course for all EE students
CS344 “Building an Internet Router”
Rice University
Network Systems Architecture
University of Cambridge (starting 2009/2010)
Masters Course “Building an Internet Router”
based largely on the cs344 model

10. CS344 Milestones 1 2 3 4 5 6 Interoperability Final Project Emulated
Build basic router
Command Line Interface
Routing Protocol
(PWOSPF)
Integrate with H/W
Interoperability
Final Project
Emulated
h/w in VNS
Routing
Table
Protocols
Management
& CLI
Exception
Processing
Management
& CLI
Management
& CLI
Routing
Protocols
Routing
Protocols
Innovate and add!
Presentations
Judges
Exception
Processing
Exception
Processing
Routing
Table
Routing
Table
Emulated
h/w in VNS
Emulated
h/w in VNS
Management
& CLI
Routing
Protocols
Exception
Processing
software
Routing
Table
hardware
Forwarding
Table
Switching
Learning Environment
Modular design
Testing
Forwarding
Table
Switching
4-port non-learning switch
4-port learning switch
IPv4 router forwarding path
Integrate with S/W
Interoperability

11. The NetFPGA.org Community

12. Conclusions Reconfigurable Hardware Platforms
Enable implementation of wire-speed programmable network nodes
NetFPGA enables research and teaching at
Network Level
System level
Circuit level
NetFPGA available:
worldwide for research and teaching

13. NetFPGA Platform Major Components Interfaces Memories FPGA Resources
4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports
PCI Host Interface
Memories
36Mbits Static RAM
512Mbits DDR2 Dynamic RAM
FPGA Resources
Block RAMs
Configurable Logic Block (CLBs)
Memory Mapped Registers

14. NetFPGA Hardware

15. NetFPGA Block Diagram