| Linux powers gaming "killer NIC" |
Nov. 22, 2006
 [Updated Nov. 27, 2006] -- Gaming equipment startup Bigfoot Networks is shipping a Linux-powered NIC (network interface card) aimed at improving network gaming performance. The Killer Network Interface Card has a 400MHz PowerPC processor and hardware UDP/IP acceleration. An application development contest is underway.
(Click for larger view of the Killer NIC)
Bigfoot claims that its Killer NIC can achieve significant real-world framerate improvements on a variety of popular games. For example, early reviewers have measured a 41 percent framerate improvement on Worlds of Warcraft, and a 23 percent improvement on Fear, the company says.
Killer NIC's hardware
The Killer NIC is based on a Freescale 8343e SoC (system-on-chip) with a 32-bit PowerPC core clocked at 400MHz. It has 64MB of RAM and a 266MHz memory bus. The board also has an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that implements "Lag and Latency Reduction" (LLR) technology. Both chips appear to be passively cooled by a menacing-looking K-shaped heatsink.
Unlike TOE (TCP/IP offload engine) NICs popular in high-throughput servers, the Killer NIC's LLR ASIC does not accelerate TCP, because network games tend to use the lighter, but less reliable UDP (user datagram protocol). However, the ASIC does handle all IP (Internet protocol) and UDP processing in hardware to reduce host CPU load and network latency, Bigfoot says.
The Killer NIC fits into a standard 32-bit PCI slot, rather than a more exotic PCI Express slot, because "the latencies are similar" and many gaming rigs need all available PCI-e slots for high-end graphics cards, the company says.
In addition to a gigabit Ethernet port, the Killer NIC has a USB 2.0 port. The port is not available to the host CPU, but can be used by Linux applications running on the NIC, for example for USB storage keys, or VoIP headsets.
Open Linux architecture
The Killer NIC runs a "highly optimized" embedded Linux OS based on a 2.6.16 kernel. It comes with a Windows utility that lets users open a Linux shell on the card, where busybox provides a subset of normal Linux system commands.
Since it is based on Linux, the Killer NIC's OS is open source. Further, it uses an open architecture dubbed "Flexible Network Architecture" (FNA). This is intended to let users write their own "FNapps" for the card, and compile them using GCC-4.3.4. The NIC has about 16MB of space for user applications, expandable via USB storage keys.
Bigfoot announced its FNA this summer, and has actively courted open source developers to write FNapps, it says. Suggested applications include "simple packet monitoring utilities, full-blown VoIP programs, file-sharing systems, and mini-game or chat servers." Running such applications on the NIC results in "minimal or reduced impact on the main system's CPU, memory subsystem, caching, and hard-disk," the company notes.
Currently, only one FNapp appears to be available -- an FNA Firewall based iptables implementation. When run on the card, this application lets users "turn off their CPU burdening firewall and continue gaming with security and optimal system performance," Bigfoot claims.
The FNA Firewall app download comprises iptables binaries and various Bourne shell scripts to easily activate and deactivate the firewall. In Windows-friendly fashion, the firewall ships with all ports open by default, relying on users to execute commands such as iptables -A INPUT -j DROP -p tcp --destination-port 21 in order to, for example, close port 21. Users can also write the typical iptables scripts that set up the status of various ports in bulk, although such scripts must not include Windows line returns.
Currently, Bigfoot is offering bounties for other open source (GPL or BSD) licensed FNapps, as follows:- $5,000 for a web server
- $2,500 for a BitTorrent, Kazaa, or Gnutella type of file-sharing application
- $5,000 for the best and most creative idea -- "VoIP, wget, packet recording, folding, monkey bots for game servers, client/server file sharing, development tools/aids, full game servers, or an interesting application of your choice," the company says
Developers who submit applications in other categories are eligible to receive free Killer NICs, the company says.
According to co-founder, CEO, and self-avowed hardcore gamer Harlan Beverly, "Using FNA Firewall is like putting armor on your computer."
Availability
The Killer NIC is available now from a variety of online retailers, priced as low as $250. The Killer NIC website offers a list of retailers, along with a download of the FNA Firewall application.
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