The Host Network (and its implications to network protocols, OS and hardware)

The host network enables data transfers within hosts, and forms the “last mile” for data transfers across hosts for distributed applications. This talk will reflect on my (ongoing) journey that started with a surprising phenomenon observed in a lab experiment—nanosecond-scale inefficiencies within the host network percolating through network protocols and OS to create millisecond-scale impact on distributed applications. I will discuss my work on understanding, characterizing, and resolving the above phenomenon in the lab and in production clusters. I will also discuss how this phenomenon opens up intriguing research questions at the intersection of computer networking, OS and architecture.

Bio: Saksham Agarwal is a PhD student in the Computer Science department at Cornell University, advised by Prof. Rachit Agarwal. He did his undergraduate studies at IIT Kanpur. He is a recipient of Google PhD Fellowship, Cornell University Fellowship, a SIGCOMM Best Student Paper Award, and a Cornell CS Outstanding TA Award.

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