[PATCH v3 11/27] net/i40e: avoid rte malloc in MAC/VLAN filtering

Bruce Richardson bruce.richardson at intel.com
Mon Feb 16 18:08:45 CET 2026


On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 01:52:53PM +0000, Anatoly Burakov wrote:
> Currently, when adding, removing, or configuring MAC and VLAN filters,
> we are using rte_zmalloc followed by an immediate rte_free. This is not
> needed as this memory is not being stored anywhere, so replace it with
> regular malloc/free.

A minor nit on a number of these patches and the commit logs. I suggest
expanding on the "not being stored anywhere" part to instead say that the
memory is a temporary scratchpad and so does not need to be in DPDK
hugepage memory.

For the code though:
Acked-by: Bruce Richardson <bruce.richardson at intel.com>


> 
> Signed-off-by: Anatoly Burakov <anatoly.burakov at intel.com>
> ---
>  drivers/net/intel/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c  | 38 +++++++++++++--------------
>  drivers/net/intel/i40e/rte_pmd_i40e.c | 16 +++++------
>  2 files changed, 26 insertions(+), 28 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/intel/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/intel/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
> index 654b0e5d16..806c29368c 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/intel/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/intel/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
> @@ -4165,8 +4165,7 @@ i40e_vlan_offload_set(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int mask)
>  	if (mask & RTE_ETH_VLAN_EXTEND_MASK) {
>  		i = 0;
>  		num = vsi->mac_num;
> -		mac_filter = rte_zmalloc("mac_filter_info_data",
> -				 num * sizeof(*mac_filter), 0);
> +		mac_filter = calloc(num, sizeof(*mac_filter));
>  		if (mac_filter == NULL) {
>  			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  			return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -4206,7 +4205,7 @@ i40e_vlan_offload_set(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int mask)
>  			if (ret)
>  				PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "i40e vsi add mac fail.");
>  		}
> -		rte_free(mac_filter);
> +		free(mac_filter);
>  	}
>  
>  	if (mask & RTE_ETH_QINQ_STRIP_MASK) {
> @@ -6231,8 +6230,7 @@ i40e_vsi_config_vlan_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, bool on)
>  
>  	num = vsi->mac_num;
>  
> -	mac_filter = rte_zmalloc("mac_filter_info_data",
> -				 num * sizeof(*mac_filter), 0);
> +	mac_filter = calloc(num, sizeof(*mac_filter));
>  	if (mac_filter == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  		return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -6264,7 +6262,7 @@ i40e_vsi_config_vlan_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, bool on)
>  	}
>  
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(mac_filter);
> +	free(mac_filter);
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> @@ -7154,7 +7152,7 @@ i40e_add_macvlan_filters(struct i40e_vsi *vsi,
>  	ele_num = hw->aq.asq_buf_size / sizeof(*req_list);
>  	ele_buff_size = hw->aq.asq_buf_size;
>  
> -	req_list = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_add", ele_buff_size, 0);
> +	req_list = calloc(1, ele_buff_size);
>  	if (req_list == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Fail to allocate memory");
>  		return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -7207,7 +7205,7 @@ i40e_add_macvlan_filters(struct i40e_vsi *vsi,
>  	} while (num < total);
>  
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(req_list);
> +	free(req_list);
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> @@ -7230,7 +7228,7 @@ i40e_remove_macvlan_filters(struct i40e_vsi *vsi,
>  	ele_num = hw->aq.asq_buf_size / sizeof(*req_list);
>  	ele_buff_size = hw->aq.asq_buf_size;
>  
> -	req_list = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_remove", ele_buff_size, 0);
> +	req_list = calloc(1, ele_buff_size);
>  	if (req_list == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Fail to allocate memory");
>  		return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -7286,7 +7284,7 @@ i40e_remove_macvlan_filters(struct i40e_vsi *vsi,
>  	} while (num < total);
>  
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(req_list);
> +	free(req_list);
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> @@ -7455,7 +7453,7 @@ i40e_vsi_remove_all_macvlan_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
>  	else
>  		num = vsi->mac_num * vsi->vlan_num;
>  
> -	mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +	mv_f = calloc(num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  	if (mv_f == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  		return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -7484,7 +7482,7 @@ i40e_vsi_remove_all_macvlan_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
>  
>  	ret = i40e_remove_macvlan_filters(vsi, mv_f, num);
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(mv_f);
> +	free(mv_f);
>  
>  	return ret;
>  }
> @@ -7510,7 +7508,7 @@ i40e_vsi_add_vlan(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, uint16_t vlan)
>  		return I40E_ERR_PARAM;
>  	}
>  
> -	mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", mac_num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +	mv_f = calloc(mac_num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  
>  	if (mv_f == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
> @@ -7532,7 +7530,7 @@ i40e_vsi_add_vlan(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, uint16_t vlan)
>  	vsi->vlan_num++;
>  	ret = I40E_SUCCESS;
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(mv_f);
> +	free(mv_f);
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> @@ -7561,7 +7559,7 @@ i40e_vsi_delete_vlan(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, uint16_t vlan)
>  		return I40E_ERR_PARAM;
>  	}
>  
> -	mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", mac_num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +	mv_f = calloc(mac_num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  
>  	if (mv_f == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
> @@ -7594,7 +7592,7 @@ i40e_vsi_delete_vlan(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, uint16_t vlan)
>  	vsi->vlan_num--;
>  	ret = I40E_SUCCESS;
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(mv_f);
> +	free(mv_f);
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> @@ -7626,7 +7624,7 @@ i40e_vsi_add_mac(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, struct i40e_mac_filter_info *mac_filter)
>  			mac_filter->filter_type == I40E_MAC_HASH_MATCH)
>  		vlan_num = 1;
>  
> -	mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", vlan_num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +	mv_f = calloc(vlan_num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  	if (mv_f == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  		return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -7665,7 +7663,7 @@ i40e_vsi_add_mac(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, struct i40e_mac_filter_info *mac_filter)
>  
>  	ret = I40E_SUCCESS;
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(mv_f);
> +	free(mv_f);
>  
>  	return ret;
>  }
> @@ -7696,7 +7694,7 @@ i40e_vsi_delete_mac(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, struct rte_ether_addr *addr)
>  			filter_type == I40E_MAC_HASH_MATCH)
>  		vlan_num = 1;
>  
> -	mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", vlan_num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +	mv_f = calloc(vlan_num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  	if (mv_f == NULL) {
>  		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  		return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -7725,7 +7723,7 @@ i40e_vsi_delete_mac(struct i40e_vsi *vsi, struct rte_ether_addr *addr)
>  
>  	ret = I40E_SUCCESS;
>  DONE:
> -	rte_free(mv_f);
> +	free(mv_f);
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> diff --git a/drivers/net/intel/i40e/rte_pmd_i40e.c b/drivers/net/intel/i40e/rte_pmd_i40e.c
> index a358f68bc5..fb73fa924f 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/intel/i40e/rte_pmd_i40e.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/intel/i40e/rte_pmd_i40e.c
> @@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ i40e_vsi_rm_mac_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
>  			   filter_type == I40E_MAC_HASH_MATCH)
>  			vlan_num = 1;
>  
> -		mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", vlan_num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +		mv_f = calloc(vlan_num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  		if (!mv_f) {
>  			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  			return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -250,18 +250,18 @@ i40e_vsi_rm_mac_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
>  			ret = i40e_find_all_vlan_for_mac(vsi, mv_f, vlan_num,
>  							 &f->mac_info.mac_addr);
>  			if (ret != I40E_SUCCESS) {
> -				rte_free(mv_f);
> +				free(mv_f);
>  				return ret;
>  			}
>  		}
>  
>  		ret = i40e_remove_macvlan_filters(vsi, mv_f, vlan_num);
>  		if (ret != I40E_SUCCESS) {
> -			rte_free(mv_f);
> +			free(mv_f);
>  			return ret;
>  		}
>  
> -		rte_free(mv_f);
> +		free(mv_f);
>  		ret = I40E_SUCCESS;
>  	}
>  
> @@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ i40e_vsi_restore_mac_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
>  			   f->mac_info.filter_type == I40E_MAC_HASH_MATCH)
>  			vlan_num = 1;
>  
> -		mv_f = rte_zmalloc("macvlan_data", vlan_num * sizeof(*mv_f), 0);
> +		mv_f = calloc(vlan_num, sizeof(*mv_f));
>  		if (!mv_f) {
>  			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to allocate memory");
>  			return I40E_ERR_NO_MEMORY;
> @@ -312,18 +312,18 @@ i40e_vsi_restore_mac_filter(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
>  			ret = i40e_find_all_vlan_for_mac(vsi, mv_f, vlan_num,
>  							 &f->mac_info.mac_addr);
>  			if (ret != I40E_SUCCESS) {
> -				rte_free(mv_f);
> +				free(mv_f);
>  				return ret;
>  			}
>  		}
>  
>  		ret = i40e_add_macvlan_filters(vsi, mv_f, vlan_num);
>  		if (ret != I40E_SUCCESS) {
> -			rte_free(mv_f);
> +			free(mv_f);
>  			return ret;
>  		}
>  
> -		rte_free(mv_f);
> +		free(mv_f);
>  		ret = I40E_SUCCESS;
>  	}
>  
> -- 
> 2.47.3
> 


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