Moving applications from the host to the network: Experiences, challenges and findings

Some recent works propose to extend network devices (e.g., routers) with the possibility to execute additional user-provisioned software operating on the data-plane. This enables network devices to be enriched with new functionalities, potentially decided at run-time directly by the end users. This paper focuses on one of such programmable routing platform and presents our experience in developing new software (namely, a parental control service) in that environment. In addition, we describe also two extensions to our platform that were needed to accommodate the necessity of our applications.