Rethinking the Switch Architecture for Stateful In-network Computing

Programmable switches are a disruptive technology that has seen increasing adoption in the past decade. Since their inception, however, there has been tension regarding how to design these switches. Classic programmable switches operate at line rate but impose significant limitations on the expressiveness of their programming models. In contrast, alternative designs relax the strict line rate requirement but are more easily programmable. The common belief is that a switch's performance and its programmability are at odds.