The eXpress Data Path (XDP) is a Linux kernel feature, that have gain a lot of traction over the last couple of years. This talk is focused on how other FOSS projects can leverage XDP. How we believe XDP should be seen as a software offload for the kernel network stack.

The motivation is to plant FOSS seeds for collaboration by describing that XDP offers of facilities and capabilities. But also explain that XDP is not the magic-bullet by framing the XDP design and what layer it operates at (e.g. no de-fragmentation) and what limits XDP impose when enabled (e.g. no jumbo-frames).

In the second part of this talk we will focus on AF_XDP and how it can be leveraged by the DPDK project. AF_XDP is a new socket type introduced in Linux 4.18, that allow the XDP driver hook to deliver raw frames into userspace. This offers new opportunities for e.g. integrating with DPDK via a Poll Mode Driver (PMD) for AF_XDP.