[dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH v2 3/5] librte_ether: add API's for VF management

[Iremonger, Bernard]

Hi Thomas,

<snip>

> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH v2 3/5] librte_ether: add API's for VF
> management
> 
> 2016-09-12 16:28, Iremonger, Bernard:
> > > On Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 10:10:18AM +0100, Bernard Iremonger wrote:
> > > > Add new API functions to configure and manage VF's on a NIC.
> > > >
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_vf_ping function.
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_vf_vlan_anti_spoof function.
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_vf_mac_anti_spoof function.
> > > >
> > > > Signed-off-by: azelezniak <alexz at att.com>
> > > >
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_vf_vlan_strip function.
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_vf_vlan_insert function.
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_loopback function.
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_all_queues_drop function.
> > > > add rte_eth_dev_set_vf_split_drop_en function add
> > > > rte_eth_dev_set_vf_mac_addr function.
> > >
> > > Do we really need to expose VF specific functions here?
> > > It can be generic(PF/VF) function indexed only through port_id.
> > > (example: as rte_eth_dev_set_vlan_anti_spoof(uint8_t port_id,
> > > uint8_t on)) For instance, In Thunderx PMD, We are not exposing a
> > > separate port_id for PF. We only enumerate 0..N VFs as 0..N ethdev
> > > port_id
> >
> > Our intention with this patch is to control the VF from the PF.
> >
> > The following librte_ether functions already work in a similar way:
> >
> > rte_eth_dev_set_vf_rxmode(uint8_t port_id,  uint16_t vf, uint16_t
> > rx_mode, uint8_t on)
> >
> > rte_eth_dev_set_vf_rx(uint8_t port_id, uint16_t vf, uint8_t on)
> >
> > rte_eth_dev_set_vf_tx(uint8_t port_id, uint16_t vf, uint8_t on)
> >
> > int rte_eth_set_vf_rate_limit(uint8_t port_id, uint16_t vf, uint16_t
> > tx_rate, uint64_t q_msk)
> 
> I have a bad feeling with these functions dedicated to VF from PF.
> Are we sure there is no other way?
> I mean we just need to know the VF with a port ID.

When the VF is used in a VM the port ID of the VF is not visible to the PF.
I don't think there is another way to do this.

Regards,

Bernard.