P4asm: A Runtime Virtualization Framework for Agile In-Network Computing

doi:10.1109/tcc.2026.3724362

P4asm: A Runtime Virtualization Framework for Agile In-Network Computing

2026-08-17

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DOI：10.1109/tcc.2026.3724362

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Programmable data planes enable in-network computing functions in cloud fabrics, but their prevailing compileand- redeploy workflow creates a reconfiguration bottleneck: application logic remains coupled to a target-specific pipeline layout, updates can require disruptive base-pipeline redeployment, and switch memory is reserved statically at compile time. We propose P4asm, an eBPF-inspired runtime-virtualization framework for supported in-network computations. P4asm installs a fixedparser P4 runtime that interprets compact virtual-instructionset bytecode and manages application code and state in a logical heap. The controller can then install, replace, and reclaim supported application logic without redeploying that fixed base runtime. We implement the framework on the BMv2 behavioral model to validate its functional design. Our BMv2 testbed results provide prototype-level evidence rather than ASIC claims. In representative traces and request replays, P4asm reduces application code size by 13× to 25×, avoids reboot outages during logic injection, keeps the critical version switch step within 10 ms to 20 ms across three sampled update cases, and preserves bounded behavior under loss and controller disconnects. The workload and ablation figures are reported as fixed operatingpoint summaries of these testbed runs.

Keywords:

In-Network Computing

Programmable Data Planes

Runtime Reconfiguration

Network Virtualization

P4

P4asm: A Runtime Virtualization Framework for Agile In-Network Computing

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