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Abstract
AF_XDP sockets are a socket type introduced in the Linux kernel that allow for in-kernel network stack bypass using an Express Data Path program. The socket allows for higher packet delivery
speeds than a standard socket and filtering of packets at a low level. This thesis analyzes the
performance of AF_XDP sockets on commodity hardware such as Netronome and Mellanox
Smart NICs. Testing packet delivery speeds was accomplished by using a custom program to test
theoretical max throughput. The performance of current AF_XDP implementations in the
intrusion detection system Suricata was also tested to show limitations of current
implementations. Results showed performance on commodity hardware and settings to
maximize performance on each smart NIC tested.