Systems Approach

Systems Approach, authored by Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie, explores the intricacies of Internet technology, architecture, and evolution, delving into topics such as networking protocols, the potential of P4 language, network slicing in 5G, abstraction in computing, the role of open-source software, and the impact of SDN on wide area networks.

Networking Protocols Internet Architecture 5G Technology Open Source Software Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Large Language Models Decentralized Architecture Computer Network Evolution

The hottest Substack posts of Systems Approach

And their main takeaways

Systems Approach Has a New Home

647 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24

🕹 Technology Email Marketing Web Hosting

The Systems Approach newsletter has moved to a new hosting platform.
The move was driven by a desire to operate on a decentralized architecture.
The transition allows for integration with the Fediverse through Wordpress.

The Future of P4: One Perspective

353 implied HN points • 15 May 23

🕹 Technology Programming Networking Technology Trends Hardware Software

P4 language is more than just Tofino chips, it has many backend targets like SmartNICs and IPUs.
The distinction between 'open' and 'closed' forwarding pipelines is crucial, even fixed pipelines can be flexible.
P4's value lies not just in quantifiable metrics, but also in its ability to abstract packet forwarding pipelines effectively.

Abstraction Merchants

176 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23

🕹 Technology Networking Research Conferences Innovation

The debate about conference practices is rooted in how we define research goals.
SIGCOMM community may be more focused on improving mechanisms within current architectures than exploring new abstractions.
Clarifying and valuing goals is essential to shaping conference practices.

Does Network Slicing Solve a Real Problem?

235 implied HN points • 06 Feb 23

Network slicing in 5G leverages sophisticated scheduling and resource allocation of radios to provide firm performance guarantees for bandwidth and latency.
Virtual schedulers divide up radio network resources to allocate them to different slices, enabling guaranteed minimum levels of resources for each slice.
Enterprise applications of 5G may benefit most from network slicing, similar to how compute virtualization took off in the 2000s.

OnRamp: Incrementally Mastering Complexity

117 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23

🕹 Technology Open Source Cloud Services

Challenges exist in helping users understand complex open source projects, especially in unfamiliar topics.
Aether-as-a-Service is easier to support than releasing Aether-as-Software for users to deploy on their own.
OnRamp aims to incrementally expose information to help users transition from simple to complex configurations of Aether.

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Open Source: Another Value Proposition

117 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23

🕹 Technology Open Source Software Networking Cloud Services Education

Open source software is integral in today's tech marketplace and has a quantifiable value proposition in business settings.
Understanding complex systems like cloud networks or 5G is enhanced by open source software, allowing for deep conceptual learning.
Open source software not only provides educational value but also leads to innovation and empowerment, even though its funding can be challenging.

It's TCP vs. RPC All Over Again

154 HN points • 20 Feb 23

🕹 Technology Networking Protocols Cloud Computing Internet

Debate continues on the need for a standard protocol for request/response paradigm beyond TCP and UDP.
The Internet has extensively used RPC for distinct purposes like email, network management, and name resolution.
Comparisons between TCP and RPC in datacenters highlight the need for a specialized transport protocol optimized for request/reply workloads.

Putting Large Language Models in Context

117 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23

🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Systems Networking

Large Language Models like ChatGPT have notable failures and lack understanding of the words they produce.
Modern machine learning systems heavily rely on training data and may struggle with unfamiliar scenarios.
Performance of machine learning systems requires careful analysis and hard work by researchers or engineers.

RPC vs TCP (Redux)

67 HN points • 20 Mar 23

🕹 Technology Networking

There are significant differences between RPC and TCP in networking paradigms.
The HPC community has built their networking infrastructure focusing on performance rather than broad interoperability.
QUIC can serve as a versatile request/reply protocol, potentially impacting wider adoption for frameworks like Homa.

Was MPLS Traffic Engineering Worthwhile?

67 HN points • 03 Apr 23

🕹 Technology Networking Internet Innovation History Development

MPLS traffic engineering was a controversial technology when first introduced.
The value of MPLS traffic engineering is mixed and harder to quantify compared to MPLS VPNs.
Deciding when to implement features in a network from an end-to-end perspective can be challenging.

Escape from Big Publishing

59 HN points • 29 May 23

🕹 Technology Open Source Book Publishing Writing Networking

Open source software played a significant role in enabling authors to achieve their publishing goals.
The decision to adopt an open source model for their textbook allowed for wider accessibility and frequent updates.
Transitioning to an open source model for publishing led to more control over content and the ability to engage with the broader community.

How SDN Came to the Wide Area

21 HN points • 01 May 23

🕹 Technology Networking Cloud Services

SDN was initially successful in local area networks before making an impact in the wide area.
SD-WAN emerged as a solution for enterprise WAN challenges, offering centralized control and distributed implementation.
SD-WAN facilitated by SDN technology revolutionized enterprise WANs, enabling direct internet access from branches and enhancing security policies at the edges.

Private 5G: As Easy As Wi-Fi*

3 HN points • 17 Apr 23

🕹 Technology Networking Hardware Software Open Source

Private 5G aims to be as easy to deploy and use as Wi-Fi.
Configuring Private 5G involves getting specific hardware and dealing with RF-related parameters.
Setting up Private 5G also requires understanding global naming schemes, SIM card burning, and managing multiple IP subnets.

60 Years of Networking

2 HN points • 26 Jun 23

🕹 Technology Networking Internet History Decentralization

Networking history involves many important figures like Bob Kahn, Vint Cerf, and Tim Berners-Lee.
Packet switching was a key development in the 1960s, leading to the creation of ARPANET.
The Internet's decentralized design and ability to adapt to different networks have influenced its growth over the years.

The Challenge of East-West Traffic

1 HN point • 24 Jul 23

🕹 Technology Networking Security Data Centers Cloud

The distinction between North-South and East-West traffic in datacenter security is crucial for addressing security concerns.
Historically, perimeter security with centralized appliances at ingress/egress points was common but proved inadequate in protecting against lateral attacks.
Network virtualization allows for a more effective approach to securing East-West traffic by implementing distributed firewalls.