Design and performance of a network-processor-based intelligent DSLAM

We present the architecture, design, and evaluation of a software-centric intelligent DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer) prototype made up of an IXP network-processor-based data plane and an IXC control-processor-based control plane. This work demonstrates that versatile and programmable network nodes can be built using network processors without undermining system performance. The challenges lie in three areas: 1) effective use of network processor resources; 2) implementation of an advanced IP control plane on a commodity OS; 3) utilizing standard-based APIs to enable efficient control plane/data plane communication. We discuss our solutions to these challenges and report on experience gained from developing the intelligent DSLAM prototype.