Unleashing 100 Mpps with Fd.io VPP on GCP x86

The article delves into the world of high-performance networking on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using technologies like DPDK, gVNIC, and FD.io VPP. It highlights the evolution of network technologies, emphasizing the importance of packet processing capabilities in managing vast amounts of data traffic. The piece discusses the history of NFV and DPDK, detailing how Intel's DPDK framework revolutionized packet processing with low-latency operations. It also explores the role of FD.io VPP, a project by Cisco that integrates DPDK for optimized packet processing speeds. The article further explains the technology enabling DPDK on GCP, emphasizing the importance of CPU isolation, HugePages, and the VFIO framework for efficient packet handling. Additionally, it mentions the contributions of Google, such as the gVNIC driver, to enhance network throughput and latency. The text provides insights into system requirements for running DPDK applications on Linux, focusing on CPU isolation, HugePages, and the VFIO framework. It also discusses the comprehensive system integration testing methodology of VPP and the performance optimization achieved through strong system partitioning.