Video: Cavium Software Services
Why CSS?
Maximize Performance
We have the expertise to ensure your software is fully optimized so you get the highest possible performance from your Cavium technology.
Reduce Time to Market
CSS puts you on the most efficient development vector. In fact, we've helped many equipment manufacturers cut product development time in half.
Reduce Risk
Don't let needless risk threaten your project. We can help you recognize, prioritize and mitigate project risk factors.
ArchitecturePLUS: Architecture is the Key to Multi-core Performance
When your engineering team lacks the hands-on experience or knowledge to design an efficient Cavium chip software architecture, our ArchitecturePLUS program is the answer. This service removes upfront design roadblocks and gets your project under development quickly. This one-month program not only fast-tracks your product development, but it reduces costs and eliminates mistakes
Even if your team includes architects with Cavium chip experience, this program can cut precious weeks from your development time. Because our engineers and architects work on similar applications every day, we are able to guide your team past potential pitfalls and performance bottlenecks.
In the ArchitecturePLUS program, CSS’s architects handle all of the planning and design for you:
- Requirements capture
- Detailed software architecture
- Performance analysis
- Memory analysis
- Risk analysis
- Testing strategy
- Project plan
At the end of the program, your engineers receive a 40-page guide containing everything they need to implement the designs. If you would like to se a sample architecture document, just contact us.
A Team Approach
CSS usually assigns one or two architects to your project for the duration of the engagement. These architects work closely with your engineers to ensure that each of your goals is understood and addressed. A larger CSS support team regularly reviews their work and helps them refine the architecture. This team approach means you get exceptional quality and accuracy.
Requirements Capture
Customers usually have a good grasp of their overall system requirements, but when it comes to mapping those objectives to OCTEON devices they often have more trouble. To clarify the situation, CSS architects will spend two full days at your site until they fully understand the requirements. Their findings will be shared with your team and captured in the final delivered document.
Detailed Software Architecture
Over the next two weeks, Cavium experts will develop a detailed software architecture that satisfies each of your requirements. Depending on your needs, this might include the following tasks:
- Partitioning application across control and data plane divide.
- Identify control plane / data plane APIs
- Identification of system level interfaces
- Identification of the various software blocks
- Detail software block internals and APIs
- High level software diagram and packet flow description
This architecture will be documented in the final deliverable.
Performance Analysis
Performance is what multi-core technology is all about. But even Cavium’s published performance metrics may not apply to your specific application. Using our proven methodology, CSS architects are able to model your system’s real-world performance with remarkable accuracy. And we will provide any predicted metrics you require. We will also map software modules to the cores and core combinations specified in the software architecture.
Memory Analysis
Getting memory sizing right is critical to your product’s performance and scalability. That’s why we’ve developed a precise method to determine the optimal memory size for your system. With this information, your hardware designers can plan out the device’s capabilities with confidence.
Risk Analysis
No new technology product is entirely risk free. But if you can identify and prioritize risk factors early-on, you can take precautions to avoid or lessen those risks. As a result, our architects will identify and document your project’s risks, based on our extensive experience with client technology. We will rate each risk factor by importance and suggest appropriate mitigation strategies.
Testing Strategy
We believe testing should begin early in a product’s development cycle — a solid testing strategy will reduce time to market and ensure a product’s stability. For this reason, we will suggest a testing methodology customized to your particular situation.
Project Plan
Finally, we will draw up a complete project plan to guide the engineers who will implement the software. Project plans include the following components::
- High level schedule with milestones
- Project flow and phase-by-phase description
- Required engineering resources
- Required equipment for development and acceptance testing
- Acceptance testing overview
The plan will be written as if CSS were contracted to implement the work. If you prefer your engineers do the implementation, the plan will be an invaluable guide and reference source.
