ipfw meets netmap (6.5 Mpps in userspace)

[Olivier Cochard-Labbé]

On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 1:17 PM, Luigi Rizzo <rizzo at iet.unipi.it> wrote:
> I just finished a netmap-enabled version of ipfw/dummynet, which
> runs in userspace and is able to process over 6 million packets per
> second (Mpps) with simple rulesets, and over 2.2 Mpps through
> dummynet pipes (tested on an i7-3400 connected to VALE ports;
> VALE is a software switch part of netmap).

Hi,

Reading the README file: "Real packet I/O is possible using netmap",
Can we use it for high-speed firewalling among real NICs now?

Can you confirm that we just need:
1. An up-to-date FreeBSD -current (build from source synced the
2012-08-03 mininum) with netmap module loaded;
2. netmap compliant NICs (ixgbe, e1000 or re);
3. compile, configure and start ipfw-user.

Can ipfw-user be directly connected to two netmap-enabled NICs in
place of vale switches->netmap bridge->NIC ?

Thanks,

Olivier