The TOFFEE Project :: Documentation

You can build a basic TOFFEE WAN Optimization hardware completely in software layer (i.e its networking data-plane and control-plane). And if you are a product manufacturer you can make commercial WAN Optimization products with TOFFEE with software layer alone. And if you choose to improve its performance, you can use any third-party PCIe Compression Accelerator cards.

Assume you have two sites (such as Site-A and Site-B) connected via slow/critical WAN link as shown below. You can optimize this link by saving the bandwidth as well possibly improve the speed. However, the WAN speed can be optimized only if the WAN link speeds are below that of the processing latency of your TOFFEE installed hardware. Assume your WAN link is 12Mbps, and assume the maximum WAN optimization speed/capacity of Raspberry Pi is 20Mbps, then your link will get speed optimization too. And in another case, assume your WAN link is 50Mbps, then using the Raspberry Pi as WAN Optimization device will actually increase the latency (i.e slows the WAN link). But in all the cases the bandwidth savings should be the same irrespective of the WAN link speed. In other words, if you want to cut down the WAN link costs via this WAN Optimization set up, you can always get it since it reduces the overall bandwidth in almost all the cases (including encrypted and pre-compressed data).

WAN Network data can be optimized at various levels depending upon the network applications, protocols, topology and use-cases. So the amount of data you can optimize will depend on the strategy you choose to optimize. Such as: Network Packet level optimization, Session level optimization, File level optimization, etc.

I always wanted to do some real experiments and research on packet flow patterns from High-bandwidth to Low-bandwidth networks via networking devices. This is something can be analyzed via capturing Network stack buffer data and other parameters, bench-marking, and so on. But eventually the data-transfer nature and other aspects is often contaminated due to the underlying OS and the way Network stack is implemented. So to understand the nature of packet flow from Higher to Lower bandwidth and vice-versa such as Lower to higher bandwidth, I thought I experiment with various tools and things which physically we can observe this phenomena.

Timelapse Screen Capture of TOFFEE-DataCenter Network Acceleration - with new RRDtool graph support

WAN Network data can be optimized at various levels depending upon the network applications, protocols, topology and use-cases. So the amount of data you can optimize will depend on the strategy you choose to optimize. Such as: Network Packet level optimization, Session level optimization, File level optimization, etc.

LoRaWAN - Network Optimization via TOFFEE WAN Optimization

Large Infrastructure or ISP setup: In case if you are an ISP and interested in deploying a large customer WAN Optimized network or an add-on enhanced (WAN Optimized) network for select few customers, then you can deploy something as shown below. Although this case is not meant for hobby/DIY users. This is a feasible solution for high-end professional application and the same can be deployed.

This is my next software development update of TOFFEE-DataCenter which I am working since past few weeks. I was very busy in implementing the core TOFFEE-DataCenter components along with prototyping, benchmarking, implementing and testing the same. However today is the first time ever I did a fresh new CLI interface for the upcoming new TOFFEE-DataCenter.