Computational storage is a new and innovative technology that combines storage and computing resources in a single device. It is designed to bring processing power closer to where data is stored, thereby reducing latency and improving the overall system performance. The demand for faster and more efficient data processing has never been higher, and computational storage is quickly emerging as a promising solution.

Despite its potential, the adoption of computational storage has been hindered by the lack of a standard interface. Different vendors use different interfaces, making it challenging for software developers to write applications that work across multiple devices. This is where eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) comes in.

eBPF is a vendor-neutral Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) that provides a standard interface for computational storage devices. This means that software developers can write applications that run on any eBPF-compatible device, regardless of the manufacturer. eBPF has already proven its worth in the networking industry, where it provides a flexible and efficient way to process network packets. Its use in computational storage is relatively new, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we manage and process data.

One of the key benefits of eBPF is that it provides a standard interface for accessing system-specific operations. This allows software developers to write applications that can run on any device, as long as the program conforms to the underlying hardware’s capabilities. This significantly reduces the barriers to entry for software developers and makes it easier to develop and deploy applications that take advantage of computational storage.

In addition, eBPF provides a secure way to access and process data stored on computational storage devices. eBPF programs run in a secure environment, and access to the underlying data is controlled by the program itself. This makes it possible to store sensitive data on computational storage devices and process it in a secure and controlled manner. In fact, research is currently underway at the IT University of Copenhagen to build a program verification system for eBPF-based offload, offering guarantees that the offloaded program will not misbehave or mishandle sensitive data.

In conclusion, computational storage is the future of data management and eBPF is a key enabler of this technology. By providing a standard interface for accessing and processing data stored on computational storage devices, eBPF makes it easier for software developers to write applications that take advantage of the benefits of this technology. With its ability to reduce latency, improve performance, and provide secure access to sensitive data, eBPF is poised to transform the way we manage and process data, opening up new possibilities for data processing and management.