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The Homa Network Protocol

by harporoeder on 12/30/24, 8:04 PM with 16 comments

• by wmf on 12/30/24, 9:23 PM

  Various previous discussions:

  It's time to replace TCP in the datacenter position paper https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33401480 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42168997

  Review of Homa protocol https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28204808

  Review of Linux implementation of Homa https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28440542

  TCP vs. RPC part 1 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34871670 part 2 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34871710 part 3 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35228716

• by sesm on 12/30/24, 9:53 PM

  For broader context: SCTP is already in the kernel, solves many of the same issues and has been used in mobile core networks for decades.

• by meltyness on 12/30/24, 9:28 PM

  Without regard to the detailed background, design or analysis, the approach of plucking a concern out of the Network/Data Link layer (prioritization / QoS) and moving it up to the Transport is a remarkably simple / clever start.

  At least that's how I picture the start of the study of such a design.

• by mongol on 12/31/24, 7:57 AM

  What is going on in a datacenter that motivates a protocol like this? I admit I am ignorarant. Is it for internal allocation, say traffic between Kubernetes nodes, this is envisioned?

• by pclmulqdq on 12/30/24, 10:41 PM

  Is anyone actually using Homa? I have heard that it has a few fundamental issues as described in the paper, and many people who want what Homa offers are using their own thing.