[dpdk-dev] RFC - adding filter to packet capture API

[Morten Brørup]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces at dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Ananyev, Konstantin
> Sent: Monday, December 9, 2019 2:42 PM 
> 
> > In the process of updating packet capture to take a filter program, there
> > is one open question about API/ABI.
> >
> > The example is:
> >
> > int
> > rte_pdump_enable(uint16_t port, uint16_t queue, uint32_t flags,
> > 		struct rte_ring *ring,
> > 		struct rte_mempool *mp,
> > 		void *filter);
> >
> > For the new version want to add ability to pass a BPF (classic) program
> > from libcap. This is described in most pcap API's as "struct
> bpf_program".
> >
> > The filter parameter was left as a placeholder, but in typical YAGNI
> > fashion. When we do need to use it, it is not going to work out.
> >
> > Since the existing filter argument was never used, there are a bunch
> > of options (in order from best to worse).
> >
> > 1. Introduce new API which takes a filter.
> >
> > int
> > rte_pdump_enable_bpf(uint16_t port, uint16_t queue, uint32_t flags,
> > 		struct rte_ring *ring,
> > 		struct rte_mempool *mp,
> > 		const struct bpf_program *filter);
> >
> > The old API is just the same as calling new API with NULL as filter.
> > This solution is safe but adds minor bloat.
> >
> > 2. Use API versioning.  This solves the ABI problem but it is still
> >    an API breakage since program that was passing junk would still
> >    not compile.
> >
> > 3. Change the function signature of existing API. This risks breaking
> >    at compile time some program that was passing some other value.
> >    Similarly, a program could have passed garbage, we never checked.
> >
> > 4. Keep existing function signature, but be type unsafe.
> >    This keeps API, but still is ABI breakage for programs that passed
> >    garbage. Plus C is unsafe enough already.
> >
> 
> My preference is probably #4, with some extra changes:
> make actual type for 'filter' be determined by flags,
> something like:
> 
> enum {
>         RTE_PDUMP_FLAG_RX = 1,  /* receive direction */
>         RTE_PDUMP_FLAG_TX = 2,  /* transmit direction */
> +      RTE_PDUMP_FLAG_CBPF = 4, /* filter points to struct bpf_program */
>         /* both receive and transmit directions */
>         RTE_PDUMP_FLAG_RXTX = (RTE_PDUMP_FLAG_RX|RTE_PDUMP_FLAG_TX)
> };
> 

I like Konstantin's idea of providing the filter type as a flag, as it still leaves the filter parameter open for other filter types in the future. It also allows using the existing pdump_request structure (and associated client/server infrastructure) as is.

And I appreciate very much that name of the flag explicitly indicates that the filter type is cBPF (not just BPF, which in librte_bpf actually means eBPF).
Did I mention that I hate the use of the name "BPF" instead of "eBPF", because "BPF" used to mean what is today also known as "cBPF"...


Med venlig hilsen / kind regards
- Morten Brørup