# OSMOSIS: Enabling Multi-Tenancy in Datacenter SmartNICs

**Authors:** Mikhail Khalilov, Marcin Chrapek, Siyuan Shen, Alessandro Vezzu, Thomas Benz, Salvatore Di Girolamo, Timo Schneider, Daniele Di Sensi, Luca Benini, Torsten Hoefler  
**arXiv:** [2309.03628](https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.03628)  
**Date:** 2023-09-07  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/2309.03628v1/

## Key points

- OSMOSIS addresses the crucial need for multi-tenancy in datacenter SmartNICs
- Existing limitations in resource multiplexing hinder full potential, particularly in performance isolation and QoS provisioning
- Traditional approaches fall short due to unpredictable execution times of SmartNIC kernels
- OSMOSIS introduces a novel SmartNIC resource manager co-design that extends existing operating system mechanisms
- Enables dynamic hardware resource multiplexing within on-path packet processing data plane
- Revolutionizes capabilities of SmartNICs by allowing efficient allocation and management of resources with low overhead
- Implementation within an open-source RISC-V-based 400Gbit/s SmartNIC showcases effectiveness in enabling broader adoption of SmartNICs in datacenters
- Comprehensive performance results show OSMOSIS fulfills critical requirements for multi-tenancy and enhances efficiency and scalability in datacenter environments
- Informed by detailed quantitative analysis highlighting specific resource multiplexing bottlenecks in multi-tenant setups of existing SmartNIC stacks
- Tailored to address diverse application requirements effectively through analytical approach
- Sets a new standard for enabling multi-tenancy in datacenter SmartNICs, transforming the landscape of datacenter networking with enhanced performance and flexibility

## Summary

OSMOSIS is a groundbreaking solution that addresses the crucial need for multi-tenancy in datacenter SmartNICs. The existing limitations in resource multiplexing on-path SmartNICs have hindered their full potential, particularly in terms of performance isolation and Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning for compute and IO resources. Traditional approaches fall short due to the unpredictable execution times of SmartNIC kernels, making it challenging to achieve effective multi-tenancy and QoS. In response to these challenges, OSMOSIS introduces a novel SmartNIC resource manager co-design that extends existing operating system mechanisms. By enabling dynamic hardware resource multiplexing within the on-path packet processing data plane, OSMOSIS revolutionizes the capabilities of SmartNICs. This innovation allows for efficient allocation and management of resources, ultimately supporting multi-tenancy with low overhead. The implementation of OSMOSIS within an open-source RISC-V-based 400Gbit/s SmartNIC showcases its effectiveness in enabling broader adoption of SmartNICs in datacenters. Through comprehensive performance results, it is evident that OSMOSIS not only fulfills the critical requirements for multi-tenancy but also paves the way for enhanced efficiency and scalability in datacenter environments. Furthermore, OSMOSIS's microarchitectural and software choices are informed by a detailed quantitative analysis highlighting specific resource multiplexing bottlenecks in multi-tenant setups of existing SmartNIC stacks. This analytical approach ensures that OSMOSIS is tailored to address diverse application requirements effectively. Overall, OSMOSIS stands as a cutting-edge solution that not only overcomes existing limitations but also sets a new standard for enabling multi-tenancy in datacenter SmartNICs. Its impact extends beyond improving resource management to transforming the landscape of datacenter networking with enhanced performance and flexibility.