[dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH v3 2/3] eal: add mask and unmask interrupt APIs

[Jerin Jacob Kollanukkaran]

> > > Not sure. I do not have a good suggestion here :-) Like to hear from
> > > David when he comes back, as he spent most time on this issue..
> >
> > Sure. He is on vacation.
> > Any reason for thinking, rte_intr_ack()  may not be semantically correct?
> > I think, it is very much correct if there are no better suggestions.
> > Anyway it the name, From VFIO perspective, we know what is expected so
> > I think it is fine.
> >
> > >
> > > Why not return -1 and let the caller deal with it?
> >
> > If we make it as rte_intr_ack() no need to return -1 for
> > MSIX-VFIO+Linux as it is semantically correct.
> >
> 
> Ack can be ambiguous. For INTx, ack usually means PIO to a NIC register,
> saying "I got your interrupt, please de-assert irq".

I think, it vary from the perspective of IRQ Chip(or controller) vs NIC register(Source) PoV.
Since the API starts from rte_intr_* it is more of controller so _ack_ make sense
Other reason for ack:
1) It will enforce that it needs to be called form ISR
2) It would be have been really correct to unmask if VFIO+MSIx+Linux supports
it
3) if it is ack, no need to add unmask counterpart, the _mask_ API

> 
> Besides the name, are we agreeing that we want these?
> - Unmask if INTx

Yes

> - Nothing if MSI/MSI-X
Yes for MSI over VFIO
No for MSI over UIO/igb_uio

I don't  have very strong opinion unmask vs ack. I prefer to have ack due the reasons stated above.
If you really have strong opinion on using unmask, we will stick with that to make forward progress.
Let us know.


> 
> So, really just "unmask if INTx". I am ok with rte_intr_unmask() if we make
> this intention clear. rte_unmask_if_intx() looks messy.
> 
> Thanks..
> -Hyong