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This article shows you how to understand the Tungsten Fabric architecture and vRouter deployment options, the content is concise and easy to understand, it will definitely brighten your eyes. I hope you can get something through the detailed introduction of this article.

The Tungsten Fabric project is an open source project protocol that is developed based on standard protocols and provides all the components necessary for network virtualization and network security. The components of the project include: SDN controller, virtual router, analysis engine, northbound API release, hardware integration functions, cloud orchestration software and extensive REST API.

VRouter has a variety of deployment options that provide different benefits and ease of use:

L Kernel Module (kernel module)-default deployment mode

L DPDK-- uses Intel Library to provide forwarding acceleration

L SR-IOV-- provides direct access to NIC from VM

L Smart NIC (Intelligent NIC)-- vRouter transponder is implemented in programmable NIC

These options are as follows:

The functions and benefits of each option are as follows:

Kernel module vRouter

The way vRouter transponders run modules in the Linux kernel is currently the default deployment option. VRouter implements the network function, otherwise it will be executed using iptables or Open vSwitch. Transponders in the kernel can directly access network traffic when passing through KVM's network stack, and can achieve significant performance improvements compared to when transponders run as processes in user space. Optimizations that have been implemented include:

L TCP fragment unloading

L bulk receive and unload

L use multi-queue virtio packet processing

The kernel module approach allows users to virtualize the network using Tungsten Fabric with minimal dependence on the underlying server and NIC hardware. However, this approach only supports specific Linux kernel versions.

DPDK vRouter

Intel's data plane Development Kit (DPDK) is a set of libraries and drivers that allow applications running in user space to access NIC directly without going through the KVM network stack. The vRouter transponder version of DPDK can be run in user space and supported.

DPDK vRouter provides accelerated packet throughput compared to kernel modules with unmodified VM, and better performance can be achieved if guest VM is also enabled with DPDK.

DPDK vRouter works by dedicating the CPU kernel to packet forwarding, which keeps forwarding loops waiting for packets. These kernels cannot be used to run Guest VM because they run continuously at 100%, which can be a problem in some environments.

SR-IOV (Single Root-input / output Virtualization)

SR-IOV is not a strict deployment option for vRouter itself, but it can be used with vRouter in some applications.

SR-IOV allows hardware resources for NIC to be shared among multiple clients as if each client had unique access, just as the hypervisor did to CPU. It gives the VM interface direct access to NIC, so the data path bypasses the hypervisor network stack, improving performance. SR-IOV is useful when VM performs gateway functions between the physical network and the virtual network, but because SR-IOV involves bypassing vRouter, the interface does not participate in the Tungsten Fabric virtual network, nor in network policies and network services.

Intelligent NIC vRouter

Some new programmable NIC are becoming available. Tungsten Fabric vRouter transponder functionality can be implemented on these new NIC, which provides a substantial performance improvement, especially for small byte packets that dominate in some environments.

In addition, forwarding is almost completely uninstalled from the server's x86 CPU, so the CPU kernel can be released for more VM.

Smart NIC looks very promising, but it clearly requires that smart NIC be available in production environments, and it takes time for them to be widely used.

The above is how to understand the Tungsten Fabric architecture and the deployment options of vRouter. Have you learned the knowledge or skills? If you want to learn more skills or enrich your knowledge reserve, you are welcome to follow the industry information channel.

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