AtoZ: an automatic traffic organizer using NetFPGA

This paper introduces AtoZ, an automatic traffic organizer that provides endusers with control of how their applications use network resources. Such an approach contrasts with the moves of many ISPs towards network-wide application throttling and provider-centric control of an application’s network-usage. AtoZ provides seamless per-application traffic-organizing on gigabit links, with minimal packet-delays and no unintended packet drops. The AtoZ combines the high-speed packet processing of the NetFPGA with an efficient flow-behavior identification method. Currently users can enable AtoZ control over network resources by prohibiting certain applications and controlling the priority of others. We discuss deployment experience and use real traffic to illustrate how such an architecture enables several distinct features: high accuracy, high throughput, minimal delay, and efficient packet labeling — all in a low-cost, robust configuration that works alongside the home or enterprise access-router.