An Approach to Tactical Network Performance Analysis with In-Band Network Telemetry and Programmable Data Planes

Intelligent routing in wireless tactical networks can enable more efficient use of limited bandwidth in harsh channel environments, and such routing requires granular insight into network performance on a link-by-link basis. In-band network telemetry (INT) can provide high-fidelity, real-time tactical data link (TDL) state metrics to help inform dynamic routing and network-wide monitoring, while incurring very little overhead. This paper describes an implementation of INT with Programmable Data Planes and the P4 switch programing framework that facilitates a timely and non-intrusive means of administrating the status, quality, and cost of links in a tactical network.