P4 Insights | Sumble

What is P4?

P4 (Programming Protocol-independent Packet Processors) is a domain-specific language used to program the data plane of network devices. It allows programmers to define how network devices process packets, enabling flexibility and innovation in network architecture. P4 is commonly used for tasks like defining new forwarding behaviors, implementing custom protocols, and creating programmable network monitoring and security solutions.

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What other technologies are related to P4?

P4 Competitor Technologies

OVS

Open vSwitch (OVS) is a software-defined networking (SDN) switch that can be used as an alternative to P4-based data planes, though there is some support for P4 in OVS.

mentioned alongside P4 in 7% (62) of relevant job posts

eBPF

eBPF is a technology that allows running sandboxed programs in the Linux kernel. It can be used for network programming tasks similar to P4, offering an alternative approach for packet processing and network control.

mentioned alongside P4 in 3% (61) of relevant job posts

P4 Complementary Technologies

DPDK

DPDK provides a set of libraries and drivers for fast packet processing, often used in conjunction with P4 for high-performance networking applications.

mentioned alongside P4 in 8% (216) of relevant job posts

VirtIO

VirtIO is a virtualization standard. It can be used with P4 when implementing virtual network functions (VNFs) or containerized network functions (CNFs) to connect virtual machines or containers to the P4 data plane.

mentioned alongside P4 in 12% (53) of relevant job posts

ML frameworks

ML Frameworks are becoming crucial in modern networks for anomaly detection and intelligent routing. Integration with P4 could allow direct control of the data plane using ML, for example, using feedback to control packet prioritization.

mentioned alongside P4 in 9% (55) of relevant job posts