Reflex-based Wire-rate Traffic Steering and Dynamic Service Relocation in Smart Edge Network Interface Cards (SENIC)

This paper presents a use case scenario in which concepts and techniques, that were specifically investigated in context of the evolution towards a 6G next generation wireless communications network, have the potential for a beneficial transfer to mobile Terahertz (THz) systems, like the mobile MAteRIal TranscEiver (MARIE) for materials identification and localization applications. Sensing and communication applications require ubiquitous connectivity, high reliability and low latency for communication and processing in the network. This necessitates a network infrastructure with a flexible compute continuum between devices, edge and cloud, as well as adaptivity in the hardware and algorithms employed in the network components to react to changing conditions. Smart network interface cards (SmartNICs) offer to support (edge) servers in the network with programmable as well as hardware accelerator resources in the ingress and egress pipelines, thereby improving performance and flexibility, and provide a platform for decision-making early in the data path. This paper demonstrates how SmartNICs can improve networked applications through traffic steering, intelligent resource management and assistance in dynamic service relocation.