P4C-XDP - Programming the Linux Kernel Forwarding Plane Using P4

Explore the integration of P4 and XDP in Linux kernel packet processing through this conference talk from the Linux Plumbers Conference. Learn about the eXpress Data Path (XDP) kernel feature for fast packet processing and the P4 domain-specific language for describing packet processing in programmable network elements. Discover P4C-XDP, a new backend for the P4 compiler that leverages XDP for high-performance software data plane operations. Understand how P4C-XDP generates eBPF-compliant C code from P4 programs, which can be loaded into device drivers for efficient packet processing. Gain insights into the project's open-source nature, sample code examples, and potential applications in protocol parsing, checksum recalculation, table lookups, and tunnel protocol encapsulation/decapsulation. Follow the presentation's agenda, covering P4 essentials, architecture models, testing frameworks, and performance measurements, concluding with a discussion on limitations and future directions.

Introduction
Agenda
What is P4
Essentials
Architecture Model
Data Plane
Backend
Pipeline
Switching Model
General Flow
Testing Frameworks
Example
Match an Action
Departure
Baseline Measurements
Limitations
Conclusion
Questions