Work

SmartNet: Bridging Performance and Realism in Network Emulation with SmartNICs

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Network emulators are essential for testing and validating new networking solutions before deployment. In this work, we present SmartNet, a new hardware-based emulation framework that brings SmartNIC awareness to network experimentation. SmartNet enables realistic and scalable evaluation of offloading, host interaction, and in-network processing. Using a simple API interface, researchers can define and deploy topologies with multiple switches, hosts, and diverse link characteristics (e.g., bandwidth, latency, loss) to evaluate SmartNIC-driven architectures.

DOI: 10.1145/3744969.3748449

Authors: Francisco Germano Vogt, Christian Rothenberg, Victor H. S. Lopes, Marcelo Caggiani Luizelli, Fabricio Rodriguez, Chrysa Papagianni, Gergely Pongrácz

Institutions: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Universidade Federal do Pampa, Telefonica Research and Development, University of Amsterdam

Language: English

Topic: Software-Defined Networks and 5G

Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Funders: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Awards: SkyNet: towards smart data planes, G4317234926, G6438247056, DigiNet: towards digital-twin assisted networks, G932160542

OpenAlex ID: W4414109555

FWCI: 3.994

Cites: 7

Cited by: 3

Related to: 10