Introducing Data Processing Units (DPU) at the Edge [Invited]

The recent availability of smart network interface cards (smart NICs) and Data Processing units (DPUs) providing hardware-accelerated networking and computing functionalities is opening the way towards new applications and use cases beyond the traditional data center scenarios. In this paper, three different use cases for edge scenarios that leverage on the innovative programmability enabled by DPUs are presented and discussed. The first use case focuses on a pervasive monitoring infrastructure to support accurate and decentralized network awareness for low-latency 5G services. The second one focuses on the implementation of power-efficient edge-to-cloud continuum. The third use case refers to effective network security functions at the DPU.