NetBlocks: Staging Layouts for High-Performance Custom Host Network Stacks
summary
NetBlocks is a DSL plus compiler that stages protocol features and packet layouts to generate specialized host network stacks using the BuildIt staging framework and a novel Layout Customization Layer. The system compiles two-stage C++ code, produces up to 864 feature combinations, and shrinks headers (example: 2‑byte packed UDP-like headers) to cut latency and raise throughput for data center and underwater acoustic deployments. Implementation supports extensibility (add-on modules like encryption), runs on unmodified servers, and shows a clear latency/throughput tradeoff so users “pay only for what they use.”
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chapters (7)
- 0:00NetBlocks introduction
- 4:53BuildIt multi-stage programming
- 9:26Aspect-oriented stacks
- 13:22Staging packet layouts
- 17:33Extending NetBlocks
- 20:43Performance evaluation
- 21:46Q&A
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