DPDK
DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) is an open-source set of libraries and drivers for fast packet processing on x86, ARM, and PowerPC processors. It bypasses the Linux kernel network stack to allow applications to run directly on network interface cards (NICs), enabling high-performance packet processing for networking applications. It is widely used in software-defined networking (SDN), network function virtualization (NFV), and telecommunications.
Developers should learn DPDK when building high-throughput, low-latency network applications such as routers, firewalls, load balancers, or virtual switches, especially in cloud and telecom environments. It is essential for optimizing packet processing performance in scenarios where kernel overhead is a bottleneck, such as in 5G core networks or data center networking.