From Kernel Beginnings to Open Source Contributions
Ajit Khaparde’s journey into open source networking began in July 2005 at a small startup called Server Engines. Alongside six other engineers in India, he developed his first Linux kernel driver focused on TCP offload, marking his entry into the world of upstream contributions.
Submitting patches to the kernel community was initially intimidating. Ajit often questioned whether his code met expectations, if his formatting was correct, or what kind of feedback he would receive. Over time, he gained confidence, learning that as long as he adhered to community standards, the process became smoother.
As Server Engines grew, it was acquired by Emulex, a Fibre Channel networking company. Ajit continued working on kernel drivers, developing NIC adapters under the “OneConnect” brand. His role remained the same even as Emulex was later acquired by Avago Technologies, and Avago then acquired Broadcom, adopting its name.
In 2015, Broadcom presented Ajit with a choice: continue developing FreeBSD drivers or transition into the world of user-space networking with the Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK). Intrigued by the possibilities of high-performance packet processing outside the kernel, Ajit chose DPDK—a decision that would define the next phase of his career.
Shifting from Kernel to User-Space Networking
When Ajit took on Broadcom’s DPDK development in 2015, the company had not yet upstreamed its first driver. The shift from kernel to user-space programming came with new challenges—faster development cycles, different coding standards, and a distinct approach to commit messages.
Adapting to the DPDK community took time, but maintainers like Ferruh Yigit and Thomas Monjalon helped guide Ajit through the process. Attending user-space conferences also strengthened his connection with the community, allowing him to engage beyond email exchanges and reviews.
By 2016, after multiple rounds of revisions and feedback, Ajit successfully upstreamed Broadcom’s first official DPDK Poll Mode Driver (PMD). This milestone formally integrated Broadcom’s NIC hardware into the DPDK ecosystem.
Nearly a decade later, Ajit continues to contribute, adding support for newer generations of Broadcom hardware, aligning with evolving DPDK APIs, and mentoring developers entering the community.
Leading Development and Adapting to Change
Ajit began as a one-person team, which allowed him to immerse himself in DPDK development at a deep technical level. As Broadcom expanded its DPDK support and released new hardware, the team grew to six engineers, then even more as the driver evolved.
Though Ajit does not formally manage a team, he plays a crucial leadership role—tracking trends in the DPDK community, guiding developers, and ensuring Broadcom’s drivers align with community standards. One major shift occurred in 2017–2018 with the introduction of the rte_flow API, which overhauled packet filtering in DPDK.
Initially, Broadcom’s driver lacked support for this new API. Recognizing its importance, Ajit led discussions with hardware architects and management, advocating for a redesign. The transition was significant, requiring a new implementation strategy. As a result, more engineers joined the effort, marking an inflection point in Broadcom’s engagement with DPDK.
For Ajit, this experience underscored the balance between independent research and collaborative leadership. Keeping pace with community developments while integrating Broadcom’s hardware capabilities became an ongoing effort.
Anticipating Industry Trends and Expanding DPDK Use Cases
As Broadcom continued to innovate, Ajit found himself at the intersection of new hardware releases and emerging DPDK features. Some updates were community-driven, while others stemmed from direct customer requests. Often, Ajit and his team had to decide whether to proactively adopt new capabilities or wait for customer demand.
A key example was GPU Direct with RDMA, a technology traditionally associated with NVIDIA’s Mellanox NICs. After attending a DPDK Summit session on the topic, Ajit saw an opportunity to make Broadcom NICs compatible with this ecosystem. Though no customers had explicitly requested it, he pursued an experimental implementation. It worked. By demonstrating interoperability, Broadcom opened new possibilities for customers exploring high-speed networking with GPUs.
Beyond development, Ajit has also contributed to the broader DPDK project. He previously managed the DPDK Bugzilla, tracking user-reported issues, though follow-up was sometimes challenging due to limited community engagement with the tool. He also participated in weekly DPDK community calls but later transitioned to email-based collaboration due to the calls’ late-night timing in his California timezone.
Looking forward, Ajit sees DPDK shifting from a purely developer-driven toolkit to a platform enabling diverse applications. Historically, Broadcom’s customers have used DPDK primarily for high-speed packet processing in telecommunications and networking. However, new opportunities are emerging, including video processing, GPU acceleration, and real-time data manipulation.
Ajit has already experimented with CUDA integration, envisioning scenarios where DPDK-powered NICs could offload packets directly to GPUs for real-time image processing—resizing, watermarking, or even AI-driven analysis. As he puts it,
“Fast packet processing is great, but the real potential emerges when you use that speed to accomplish something meaningful.”
A Commitment to Open Source and High-Performance Networking
Ajit has witnessed significant changes in both the Linux kernel and DPDK communities. From upstreaming his first kernel driver at Server Engines to leading Broadcom’s contributions to DPDK, his journey reflects the adaptability required in the ever-evolving networking landscape.
He has also observed the industry’s reluctance to upgrade. Many customers still run DPDK 17.11, avoiding new versions due to cost and risk concerns. While Ajit encourages customers to adopt the latest releases, he understands the operational realities that lead some to remain on older versions. Supporting both cutting-edge adopters and legacy deployments is a constant balancing act.
At a recent DPDK Summit, Ajit was particularly fascinated by a talk on astronomy and high-performance networking—analyzing massive amounts of data in real time, storing it efficiently, and making sense of patterns over years or even decades. This ability to blend networking, hardware acceleration, and real-world problem-solving represents what Ajit finds most exciting about DPDK’s ongoing evolution.
With nearly two decades in open source development and a deep, ongoing commitment to DPDK, Ajit remains a key contributor—driving innovation, mentoring peers, and ensuring the project’s continued growth. His journey is a testament to the dedication, curiosity, and collaboration that define high-performance networking in the modern era.