write in batches

inside.go

@@ -11,6 +11,145 @@ import (
 	"github.com/slackhq/nebula/routing"
 )
 
+// consumeInsidePackets processes multiple packets in a batch for improved performance
+// packets: slice of packet buffers to process
+// sizes: slice of packet sizes
+// count: number of packets to process
+// outs: slice of output buffers (one per packet) with virtio headroom
+// q: queue index
+// localCache: firewall conntrack cache
+func (f *Interface) consumeInsidePackets(packets [][]byte, sizes []int, count int, outs [][]byte, q int, localCache firewall.ConntrackCache) {
+	// Reusable per-packet state
+	fwPacket := &firewall.Packet{}
+	nb := make([]byte, 12, 12)
+
+	// Accumulate encrypted packets for batch sending
+	batchPackets := make([][]byte, 0, count)
+	batchAddrs := make([]netip.AddrPort, 0, count)
+
+	// Process each packet in the batch
+	for i := 0; i < count; i++ {
+		packet := packets[i][:sizes[i]]
+		out := outs[i]
+
+		// Inline the consumeInsidePacket logic for better performance
+		err := newPacket(packet, false, fwPacket)
+		if err != nil {
+			if f.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
+				f.l.WithField("packet", packet).Debugf("Error while validating outbound packet: %s", err)
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Ignore local broadcast packets
+		if f.dropLocalBroadcast {
+			if f.myBroadcastAddrsTable.Contains(fwPacket.RemoteAddr) {
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+
+		if f.myVpnAddrsTable.Contains(fwPacket.RemoteAddr) {
+			// Immediately forward packets from self to self.
+			if immediatelyForwardToSelf {
+				_, err := f.readers[q].Write(packet)
+				if err != nil {
+					f.l.WithError(err).Error("Failed to forward to tun")
+				}
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Ignore multicast packets
+		if f.dropMulticast && fwPacket.RemoteAddr.IsMulticast() {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		hostinfo, ready := f.getOrHandshakeConsiderRouting(fwPacket, func(hh *HandshakeHostInfo) {
+			hh.cachePacket(f.l, header.Message, 0, packet, f.sendMessageNow, f.cachedPacketMetrics)
+		})
+
+		if hostinfo == nil {
+			f.rejectInside(packet, out, q)
+			if f.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
+				f.l.WithField("vpnAddr", fwPacket.RemoteAddr).
+					WithField("fwPacket", fwPacket).
+					Debugln("dropping outbound packet, vpnAddr not in our vpn networks or in unsafe networks")
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if !ready {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		dropReason := f.firewall.Drop(*fwPacket, false, hostinfo, f.pki.GetCAPool(), localCache)
+		if dropReason != nil {
+			f.rejectInside(packet, out, q)
+			if f.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
+				hostinfo.logger(f.l).
+					WithField("fwPacket", fwPacket).
+					WithField("reason", dropReason).
+					Debugln("dropping outbound packet")
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Encrypt and prepare packet for batch sending
+		ci := hostinfo.ConnectionState
+		if ci.eKey == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Check if this needs relay - if so, send immediately and skip batching
+		useRelay := !hostinfo.remote.IsValid()
+		if useRelay {
+			// Handle relay sends individually (less common path)
+			f.sendNoMetrics(header.Message, 0, ci, hostinfo, netip.AddrPort{}, packet, nb, out, q)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Encrypt the packet for batch sending
+		if noiseutil.EncryptLockNeeded {
+			ci.writeLock.Lock()
+		}
+		c := ci.messageCounter.Add(1)
+		out = header.Encode(out, header.Version, header.Message, 0, hostinfo.remoteIndexId, c)
+		f.connectionManager.Out(hostinfo)
+
+		// Query lighthouse if needed
+		if hostinfo.lastRebindCount != f.rebindCount {
+			f.lightHouse.QueryServer(hostinfo.vpnAddrs[0])
+			hostinfo.lastRebindCount = f.rebindCount
+			if f.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
+				f.l.WithField("vpnAddrs", hostinfo.vpnAddrs).Debug("Lighthouse update triggered for punch due to rebind counter")
+			}
+		}
+
+		out, err = ci.eKey.EncryptDanger(out, out, packet, c, nb)
+		if noiseutil.EncryptLockNeeded {
+			ci.writeLock.Unlock()
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			hostinfo.logger(f.l).WithError(err).
+				WithField("counter", c).
+				Error("Failed to encrypt outgoing packet")
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Add to batch
+		batchPackets = append(batchPackets, out)
+		batchAddrs = append(batchAddrs, hostinfo.remote)
+	}
+
+	// Send all accumulated packets in one batch
+	if len(batchPackets) > 0 {
+		n, err := f.writers[q].WriteMulti(batchPackets, batchAddrs)
+		if err != nil {
+			f.l.WithError(err).WithField("sent", n).WithField("total", len(batchPackets)).Error("Failed to send batch")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (f *Interface) consumeInsidePacket(packet []byte, fwPacket *firewall.Packet, nb, out []byte, q int, localCache firewall.ConntrackCache) {
 	err := newPacket(packet, false, fwPacket)
 	if err != nil {

interface.go

@@ -333,12 +333,13 @@ func (f *Interface) listenInBatch(reader io.ReadWriteCloser, batchReader BatchRe
 	}
 	sizes := make([]int, batchSize)
 
-	// Per-packet state (reused across batches)
+	// Allocate output buffers for batch processing (one per packet)
-	// Allocate out buffer with virtio header headroom to avoid copies on write
+	// Each has virtio header headroom to avoid copies on write
+	outs := make([][]byte, batchSize)
+	for idx := range outs {
 		outBuf := make([]byte, virtioNetHdrLen+mtu)
-	out := outBuf[virtioNetHdrLen:]
+		outs[idx] = outBuf[virtioNetHdrLen:] // Slice starting after headroom
-	fwPacket := &firewall.Packet{}
+	}
-	nb := make([]byte, 12, 12)
 
 	conntrackCache := firewall.NewConntrackCacheTicker(f.conntrackCacheTimeout)
 
@@ -354,10 +355,8 @@ func (f *Interface) listenInBatch(reader io.ReadWriteCloser, batchReader BatchRe
 			os.Exit(2)
 		}
 
-		// Process each packet in the batch
+		// Process all packets in the batch at once
-		for j := 0; j < n; j++ {
+		f.consumeInsidePackets(bufs, sizes, n, outs, i, conntrackCache.Get(f.l))
-			f.consumeInsidePacket(bufs[j][:sizes[j]], fwPacket, nb, out, i, conntrackCache.Get(f.l))
-		}
 	}
 }
 

udp/conn.go

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ type Conn interface {
 	LocalAddr() (netip.AddrPort, error)
 	ListenOut(r EncReader)
 	WriteTo(b []byte, addr netip.AddrPort) error
+	WriteMulti(packets [][]byte, addrs []netip.AddrPort) (int, error)
 	ReloadConfig(c *config.C)
 	Close() error
 }
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ func (NoopConn) ListenOut(_ EncReader) {
 func (NoopConn) WriteTo(_ []byte, _ netip.AddrPort) error {
 	return nil
 }
+func (NoopConn) WriteMulti(_ [][]byte, _ []netip.AddrPort) (int, error) {
+	return 0, nil
+}
 func (NoopConn) ReloadConfig(_ *config.C) {
 	return
 }

udp/udp_darwin.go

@@ -140,6 +140,17 @@ func (u *StdConn) WriteTo(b []byte, ap netip.AddrPort) error {
 	}
 }
 
+// WriteMulti sends multiple packets - fallback implementation without sendmmsg
+func (u *StdConn) WriteMulti(packets [][]byte, addrs []netip.AddrPort) (int, error) {
+	for i := range packets {
+		err := u.WriteTo(packets[i], addrs[i])
+		if err != nil {
+			return i, err
+		}
+	}
+	return len(packets), nil
+}
+
 func (u *StdConn) LocalAddr() (netip.AddrPort, error) {
 	a := u.UDPConn.LocalAddr()
 

udp/udp_linux.go

@@ -194,6 +194,19 @@ func (u *StdConn) WriteTo(b []byte, ip netip.AddrPort) error {
 	return u.writeTo6(b, ip)
 }
 
+func (u *StdConn) WriteMulti(packets [][]byte, addrs []netip.AddrPort) (int, error) {
+	if len(packets) != len(addrs) {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("packets and addrs length mismatch")
+	}
+	if len(packets) == 0 {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+	if u.isV4 {
+		return u.writeMulti4(packets, addrs)
+	}
+	return u.writeMulti6(packets, addrs)
+}
+
 func (u *StdConn) writeTo6(b []byte, ip netip.AddrPort) error {
 	var rsa unix.RawSockaddrInet6
 	rsa.Family = unix.AF_INET6
@@ -248,6 +261,78 @@ func (u *StdConn) writeTo4(b []byte, ip netip.AddrPort) error {
 	}
 }
 
+func (u *StdConn) writeMulti4(packets [][]byte, addrs []netip.AddrPort) (int, error) {
+	msgs, iovecs, names := u.PrepareWriteMessages4(len(packets))
+
+	for i := range packets {
+		if !addrs[i].Addr().Is4() {
+			return i, ErrInvalidIPv6RemoteForSocket
+		}
+
+		// Setup the packet buffer
+		iovecs[i].Base = &packets[i][0]
+		iovecs[i].Len = uint64(len(packets[i]))
+
+		// Setup the destination address
+		rsa := (*unix.RawSockaddrInet4)(unsafe.Pointer(&names[i][0]))
+		rsa.Family = unix.AF_INET
+		rsa.Addr = addrs[i].Addr().As4()
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint16((*[2]byte)(unsafe.Pointer(&rsa.Port))[:], addrs[i].Port())
+	}
+
+	for {
+		n, _, err := unix.Syscall6(
+			unix.SYS_SENDMMSG,
+			uintptr(u.sysFd),
+			uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&msgs[0])),
+			uintptr(len(msgs)),
+			0,
+			0,
+			0,
+		)
+
+		if err != 0 {
+			return int(n), &net.OpError{Op: "sendmmsg", Err: err}
+		}
+
+		return int(n), nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (u *StdConn) writeMulti6(packets [][]byte, addrs []netip.AddrPort) (int, error) {
+	msgs, iovecs, names := u.PrepareWriteMessages6(len(packets))
+
+	for i := range packets {
+		// Setup the packet buffer
+		iovecs[i].Base = &packets[i][0]
+		iovecs[i].Len = uint64(len(packets[i]))
+
+		// Setup the destination address
+		rsa := (*unix.RawSockaddrInet6)(unsafe.Pointer(&names[i][0]))
+		rsa.Family = unix.AF_INET6
+		rsa.Addr = addrs[i].Addr().As16()
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint16((*[2]byte)(unsafe.Pointer(&rsa.Port))[:], addrs[i].Port())
+	}
+
+	for {
+		n, _, err := unix.Syscall6(
+			unix.SYS_SENDMMSG,
+			uintptr(u.sysFd),
+			uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&msgs[0])),
+			uintptr(len(msgs)),
+			0,
+			0,
+			0,
+		)
+
+		if err != 0 {
+			return int(n), &net.OpError{Op: "sendmmsg", Err: err}
+		}
+
+		return int(n), nil
+	}
+}
+
 func (u *StdConn) ReloadConfig(c *config.C) {
 	b := c.GetInt("listen.read_buffer", 0)
 	if b > 0 {

udp/udp_linux_64.go

@@ -55,3 +55,41 @@ func (u *StdConn) PrepareRawMessages(n int) ([]rawMessage, [][]byte, [][]byte) {
 
 	return msgs, buffers, names
 }
+
+func (u *StdConn) PrepareWriteMessages4(n int) ([]rawMessage, []iovec, [][]byte) {
+	msgs := make([]rawMessage, n)
+	iovecs := make([]iovec, n)
+	names := make([][]byte, n)
+
+	for i := range msgs {
+		names[i] = make([]byte, unix.SizeofSockaddrInet4)
+
+		// Point to the iovec in the slice
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Iov = &iovecs[i]
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Iovlen = 1
+
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Name = &names[i][0]
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Namelen = unix.SizeofSockaddrInet4
+	}
+
+	return msgs, iovecs, names
+}
+
+func (u *StdConn) PrepareWriteMessages6(n int) ([]rawMessage, []iovec, [][]byte) {
+	msgs := make([]rawMessage, n)
+	iovecs := make([]iovec, n)
+	names := make([][]byte, n)
+
+	for i := range msgs {
+		names[i] = make([]byte, unix.SizeofSockaddrInet6)
+
+		// Point to the iovec in the slice
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Iov = &iovecs[i]
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Iovlen = 1
+
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Name = &names[i][0]
+		msgs[i].Hdr.Namelen = unix.SizeofSockaddrInet6
+	}
+
+	return msgs, iovecs, names
+}