RX/TX Basics

Most DPDK apps are built around a fast loop:

• burst receive packets
• inspect/modify headers as needed
• transmit or drop
• free mbufs

Key API concepts:

• rte_eth_rx_burst(...) returns up to N packets
• you must free mbufs you don’t forward
• transmitting is typically rte_eth_tx_burst(...)

Performance tips:

• process in bursts
• avoid per-packet syscalls
• pin to cores, avoid migrations
• keep per-core data local (NUMA awareness)

Next: Rings & Multicore