Making Networking Queues a First Class Citizen in the Kernel

Explore the intricacies of making networking queues a first-class citizen in the Linux kernel through this comprehensive conference talk from the Linux Plumbers Conference. Delve into the challenges and solutions surrounding the eXpress Data Path (XDP) for high-performance packet processing at L2 and L3 levels. Learn about the proposed abstraction for tracking queues in a vendor-neutral way, the implementation of a new submodule in the Linux networking core, and how drivers can register their queues. Discover how this approach allows for allocation and freeing of individual queues or sets with specific properties, and how it provides hardware-independent queue IDs. Examine the potential for exposing this functionality to userspace and its interaction with existing REDIRECT primitives. Additionally, investigate the proposed solution for allowing userspace programs to express configurations based on packet properties rather than queue IDs, including a new bind option in AF_XDP for describing desired traffic. Gain insights into the future of networking queue management in the Linux kernel through this in-depth presentation by experts from Intel, RedHat, Netronome, and Mellanox.