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arXiv · 2504.03653

A Survey on Heterogeneous Computing Using SmartNICs and Emerging Data Processing Units

Nathan Tibbetts·Sifat Ibtisum·Satish Puri
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Abstract

The emergence of new, off-path smart network cards (SmartNICs), known generally as Data Processing Units (DPU), has opened a wide range of research opportunities. Of particular interest is the use of these and related devices in tandem with their host's CPU, creating a heterogeneous computing system with new properties and strengths to be explored, capable of accelerating a wide variety of workloads. This survey begins by providing the motivation and relevant background information for this new field, including its origins, a few current hardware offerings, major programming languages and frameworks for using them, and associated challenges. We then review and categorize a number of recent works in the field, covering a wide variety of studies, benchmarks, and application areas, such as data center infrastructure, commercial uses, and AI and ML acceleration. We conclude with a few observations.

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Nathan Tibbetts, Sifat Ibtisum, Satish Puri. 2025-03-03. A Survey on Heterogeneous Computing Using SmartNICs and Emerging Data Processing Units. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2025.108207

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