Whippersnapper

Abstract

As P4 and its associated compilers move beyond relative immaturity, there is a need for common evaluation criteria. In this paper, we propose Whippersnapper, a set of benchmarks for P4. Rather than simply selecting a set of representative data-plane programs, the benchmark is designed from first principles, identifying and exploring key features and metrics. We believe the benchmark will not only provide a vehicle for comparing implementations and designs, but will also generate discussion within the larger community about the requirements for data-plane languages.