[dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2 1/2] ethdev: announce flow API action PORT_ID changes

[Andrew Rybchenko]

By its very name, action PORT_ID means that packets hit an ethdev with the
given DPDK port ID. At least the current comments don't state the opposite.

However some drivers implement it in a different way and direct traffic to
the opposite end of the "wire" plugged to the given ethdev. For example in
the case of a VF representor traffic is redirected to the corresponding VF
itself rather than to the representor ethdev and OvS uses PORT_ID action
this way.

The documentation must be clarified and, likely, rte_flow_action_port_id
structure should be extended to support both meanings.

Signed-off-by: Andrew Rybchenko <andrew.rybchenko at oktetlabs.ru>
Acked-by: Ori Kam <orika at nvidia.com>
---
 doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
index d9c0e65921..6e6413c89f 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
@@ -158,3 +158,8 @@ Deprecation Notices
 * security: The functions ``rte_security_set_pkt_metadata`` and
   ``rte_security_get_userdata`` will be made inline functions and additional
   flags will be added in structure ``rte_security_ctx`` in DPDK 21.11.
+
+* ethdev: Definition of the flow API action PORT_ID is ambiguous and needs
+  clarification. Structure rte_flow_action_port_id will be extended to
+  specify traffic direction to represented entity or ethdev port itself in
+  DPDK 21.11.
-- 
2.30.2