NoviFlow has created a P4 Runtime application development platform for programmable networks

MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, March 31, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NoviFlow^® Inc., a leading vendor of high-performance network operating software and programmable network solutions for cybersecurity and SDN, today announced the release of NoviSpeaker, a P4 Runtime Speaker and development environment for use with Intel Tofino-based white-box network devices. The development environment also includes NoviFlow’s NoviWare Network Operating System (NOS), as well as the NoviWare NOS switch simulator for general purpose servers.

As more functions within a network are being virtualized and run on Intel processor-based servers, the Tofino silicon family of P4-programmable switches can be used to offload and accelerate stateless processing in the data plane. NoviSpeaker provides a complete software stack, including the infrastructure, operating system, and development environment, which application developers can leverage decreased time to market by focusing on the creation of their core IP. NoviSpeaker, combined with a customer application, can be delivered as a complete control plane for Tofino-based switches that can be deployed locally on the switch or a remote server.

NoviFlow’s NoviSpeaker, which was originally designed and developed for internal use in the company’s own development of programmable network appliances, is a commercial-grade development and deployment platform for P4-based programmable network applications and services. NoviSpeaker comes with accompanying support and consultative services needed to ensure quality applications, fast time to market, and unparalleled access to the advanced features of the Intel Tofino family such as programmable pipelines, in-band network telemetry (INT) and multi-Terabit throughput.

According to NoviFlow’s President and CEO, Dominique Jodoin: “NoviSpeaker offers our customers and partners a mature P4-programmable networking platform, designed specifically to leverage the unique capabilities of Intel’s Tofino processor family, and refined by several years of in-house usage in our own solutions deployed commercially by network operators around the world. It’s a unique solution that offers unlimited potential for differentiation, multi-Terabit-scale throughput, and an order of magnitude improvement in price-performance.”

NoviSpeaker also leverages NoviWare’s standard APIs (gRPC, gNMI, gNOI and CLI), so applications can directly utilize the advanced match-action pipeline processing capabilities implemented by NoviWare on Tofino-based hardware.

Specific NoviSpeaker capabilities include:

Simplifies connection management between P4 switches and the P4 application:
– The single gRPC channel is used for all the SDN interfaces - P4 Runtime, gNMI, gNOI and gRPC
– Exposes a northbound gRPC interface for management and runtime control
P4 Runtime Translation Layer:
– Mapping of IDs from P4.info to naming convention (tables, actions etc.)
– Port Mapping to expose front panel port numbers to the applications.
Extra port configuration and stats support
Debugging:
– Provide logs and debugging information to help debug applications
Swapping of P4 program:
– Rollback on Error
– Fast-Refresh support

Says Barry Davis, Executive Director, Marketing and Manufacturing – Barefoot Switch Division, Connectivity Group at Intel: “NoviFlow has been a key Intel partner providing carrier-grade NOS and application software for P4 and Tofino-based white-box network devices. With the commercial release of its P4 Runtime Speaker, NoviFlow is again driving the P4 ecosystem forward by significantly reducing development costs and time to market, and greatly simplifying deployment of new services and applications for those seeking to leverage the performance and full programmability of Tofino and P4.”

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

Find out more about NoviSpeaker and NoviFlow’s forwarding plane solutions at www.noviflow.com/NoviSpeaker.

ABOUT NOVIFLOW
NoviFlow Inc. provides open standard-based high-performance Cybersecurity and SDN networking solutions to network operators, data center operators, enterprises and government agencies seeking greater performance, flexibility, cost-efficiency, and security over their networks. NoviFlow has offices in Montreal, Sunnyvale and Seattle, and representatives in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit http://noviflow.com/. Follow NoviFlow on Twitter @NoviFlowInc.

Marc LeClerc
NoviFlow Inc.
+1 438-807-4363
marketing@noviflow.com
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