Bowman: A Node OS for Active Networks

—Bowman is an extensible platform for active networking: it layers active-networking functionality in user-space software over variants of the System V UNIX operating system. The packet processing path implemented in Bowman incorporates an efficient and flexible packet classification algorithm, supports multi-threaded per-flow processing, and utilizes real-time processor schedulingto achieve deterministicperformance inuserspace. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of Bowman; discuss the support that Bowman provides for implementing execution environments for active networking; discuss the network-level architecture of Bowman that can be used to implement virtual networks; and present performance data. Bowman is able to sustain 100 Mbps throughput while forwarding IP packets over fast Ethernets.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: INFOCOM
• Authors: Shashidhar Merugu, Samrat Bhattacharjee, Ellen W. Zegura, Kenneth L. Calvert
• Keywords: Active Networking, Bowman, Communications, INFOCOM 2000, Packet Processing Path