Nectar CAB: a high-speed network processor

Nectar is a high-speed fiber-optic network developed as a network backplane to support distributed and heterogeneous computing. A distinguishing component of the Nectar network is a highly programmable network processor called the communication accelerator board (CAB). The Nectar CAB has a flexible architecture, where almost all interactions between the network and the host are programmable. This structure allows arbitrary protocols to be implemented, evaluated, and utilized. A description is presented of the design, implementation, and usage of the Nectar CAB, and performance implications of its hardware features are discussed