[EXT] Re: [PATCH v3 1/2] examples/l3fwd: common packet group functionality

[Thomas Monjalon]

04/07/2022 14:49, Rahul Bhansali:
> From: Thomas Monjalon <thomas at monjalon.net>
> > 23/06/2022 11:38, Rahul Bhansali:
> > > This will make the packet grouping function common, so that other
> > > examples can utilize as per need.
> > >
> > > For each architecture sse/neon/altivec, port group headers will be
> > > created under examples/common/<arch>.
> > >
> > > Signed-off-by: Rahul Bhansali <rbhansali at marvell.com>
> > > ---
> > > Changes in v3: Created common port-group headers for architectures
> > > sse/neon/altivec as suggested by Konstantin.
> > >
> > > Changes in v2: New patch to address review comment.
> > >
> > >  examples/common/altivec/port_group.h |  48 +++++++++
> > >  examples/common/neon/port_group.h    |  50 ++++++++++
> > >  examples/common/pkt_group.h          | 139 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > >  examples/common/sse/port_group.h     |  47 +++++++++
> > >  examples/l3fwd/Makefile              |   5 +-
> > >  examples/l3fwd/l3fwd.h               |   2 -
> > >  examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_altivec.h       |  37 +------
> > >  examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_common.h        | 129 +------------------------
> > >  examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_neon.h          |  39 +-------
> > >  examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_sse.h           |  36 +------
> > >  examples/meson.build                 |   2 +-
> > 
> > OK you move code from l3fwd to another place.
> > That's probably a step in the right direction.
> > What about taking the extra step of making it an EAL API?
> 
> Thanks for the suggestion. These changes are specific to fast path and I think EAL is more focused towards control path (Correct me if I am wrong).

No, EAL is just a set of basic functions.
Locks, time counters, bit ops are examples of EAL functions
which can be used in data path.

> Instead of EAL API, we can have it in library, but currently these are very few changes to form a library.
> Later in future if we can identify more such common APIs then we can form a library around these specific things, so that more examples/app/library can use it.
> Please suggest if this makes sense.

These are just computations, it can be a file in EAL.