[dpdk-dev] [PATCH] net/thunderx: sync mailbox definitions with Linux PF driver

Ferruh Yigit ferruh.yigit at intel.com
Thu Mar 23 14:26:15 CET 2017


On 3/23/2017 1:20 PM, Jerin Jacob wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 22, 2017 at 10:33:14AM +0000, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
>> On 3/22/2017 9:39 AM, Jerin Jacob wrote:
>>> On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 02:53:29PM +0000, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
>>>> On 3/21/2017 2:38 PM, Jerin Jacob wrote:
>>>>> On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 02:31:41PM +0000, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
>>>>>> On 3/20/2017 2:10 PM, Jerin Jacob wrote:
>>>>>>> - bgx_link_status mbox definition was changed in Linux
>>>>>>> commit 1cc702591bae ("net: thunderx: Add ethtool support")
>>>>>>> - NIC_MBOX_MSG_RES_BIT related changes were never part of Linux PF driver
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Signed-off-by: Jerin Jacob <jerin.jacob at caviumnetworks.com>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <...>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> @@ -157,6 +151,7 @@ struct rss_cfg_msg {
>>>>>>>  /* Physical interface link status */
>>>>>>>  struct bgx_link_status {
>>>>>>>  	uint8_t    msg;
>>>>>>> +	uint8_t    mac_type;
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Jerin,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Is this modification related to this patch?
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes Ferruh.
>>>>>
>>>>> This was related to the following section in git log comment.
>>>>> ----
>>>>> - bgx_link_status mbox definition was changed in Linux
>>>>> commit 1cc702591bae ("net: thunderx: Add ethtool support") 
>>>>> ---
>>>>
>>>> I see now, thanks. Since this is to sync with Linux PF, shouldn't it be
>>>> used in driver, perhaps something like in Linux driver:
>>>> "nic->mac_type = mbx.link_status.mac_type"
>>>>
>>>> What is the point of just adding definition without using it?
>>>
>>> That is to keep "link_up"(next element in the struct bgx_link_status) points
>>> to correct location after the kernel change. 
>>
>> I see, thanks. It is pity that new field added into middle (or beginning
>> if you exclude msg) of the struct.
>>
>>> I thought about, the backward
>>> compatibility with older kernel, Is it OK to use linux/version.h in PMD drivers
>>> to detect the kernel version?
>>
>> Technically possible, but kernel version check has its problems:
>> 1) Adds maintenance cost, which gets worse by time.
>> 2) If added a compile time check, it creates binary distribution
>> problems, distro guys may not like PMD has dependency to kernel.
>> 3) It will create dependency to Linux, assuming Thunderx PMD supported
>> in FreeBSD
>>
>>> drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c has similar
>>> kernel detection mechanism to make it backward compatible.
>>
>> Yes, at least mlx added a dynamic check which prevents above issue 2.
>>
>>> If there are no issue with such approach, I will roll out a new revision.
>>
>> Is there any way to detect this dynamically, first things I can think of:
>> - Any mbx versioning to rely on?
>> - Any common NIC user header file provided by kernel, to use in DPDK, to
>> prevent any this kind of issues in the future?
>> - Any msg size value to detect if mac_type exists or not?
>> - Heuristic approach to other values to detect mac_type existence?
> 
> Thanks for sharing the options.
> First three options wont work. Heuristic option is pretty limited,
> mac_type value can also be 0 or 1(same as link_up)
> So I think, The best option now to use the patch as is(without kernel
> check).
> What do you think?

If this won't cause a problem for you with older kernels, I would prefer
no kernel check option.

> 
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  	uint8_t    link_up;
>>>>>>>  	uint8_t    duplex;
>>>>>>>  	uint32_t   speed;
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>



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