Design of a kernel for implementing communication protocols

Abstract

We describe the design of a kernel for an inexpensive front-end processor to run the lower layers of common communication protocols. Implementing a full fledged kernel on a card requires large memory, expensive hardware and heavy processing overhead. We studied the requirements of the layers of communication protocols which generally run as a part of the host kernel. We realised that a workable kernel for the front-end processor which has a subset of the features of the host kernel, could be implemented within reasonable time. This could provide the functions required by the communication protocol layers and run them within the constraints of inexpensive hardware. The aims of this research were manifold:

• 1.

  (1) To explore the general set of requirements of common connection-oriented and connectionless protocols.

• 2.

  (2) To design and present algorithms of a kernel which can satisfy such requirements. Since the kernel is based on this general set of requirements, it will be generic and not specific to only the protocol running on the card. Thus it can be used to download different protocols on the card.

• 3.

  (3) Suggest implementation techniques so as to reduce memory and processing overhead on the host and to improve the performance of the protocols running in the kernel.

• 4.

  (4) To actually run a protocol on this kernel and compare its performance with an existing design.