linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 2/3] pci: Clamp pcie_set_readrq() when using "performance" settings

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Date:	Tue, 4 Oct 2011 11:37:12 -0400
From:	Benjamin LaHaise <bcrl@...ck.org>
To:	Jon Mason <mason@...i.com>
Cc:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...e.de>,
	Jesse Barnes <jbarnes@...tuousgeek.org>,
	Bjorn Helgaas <bhelgaas@...gle.com>,
	Benjamin Herrenschmidt <benh@...nel.crashing.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-pci@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/3] pci: Clamp pcie_set_readrq() when using "performance" settings

On Tue, Oct 04, 2011 at 10:42:15AM -0400, Benjamin LaHaise wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 04:55:48PM -0500, Jon Mason wrote:
> > From: Benjamin Herrenschmidt <benh@...nel.crashing.org>
> > 
> > When configuring the PCIe settings for "performance", we allow parents
> > to have a larger Max Payload Size than children and rely on children
> > Max Read Request Size to not be larger than their own MPS to avoid
> > having the host bridge generate responses they can't cope with.
> 
> I'm pretty sure that simply will not work, and is an incorrect understanding 
> of how PCIe bridges and devices interact with regards to transaction size 
> limits.  Here's why: I am actually implementing a PCIe nic on an FPGA at 
> present, and have just been in the process of tuning how memory read 
> requests are issued and processed.  It is perfectly valid for a PCIe 
> endpoint to issue a read request for an entire 4KB block (assuming it 
> respects the no 4KB boundary crossings rule), even when the MPS setting 
> is only 64 or 128 bytes.  However, the root complex or PCIe bridge *must 
> not* exceed the Maximum Payload Size for any completions with data or 
> posted writes.  Multiple completions are okay and expected for read 
> requests.  If the MPS on the bridge is set to a larger value than 
> what all of the endpoints connected to it, the bridge or root complex will 
> happily send read completions exceeding the endpoint's MPS.  This can and 
> will lead to failure on the parts of endpoints.

Just to clarify, my main concern is that restricting the size of read 
requests will impact performance negatively, for things like network tx.  
Issuing small reads for network tx made a huge impact on transmit 
performance, while also constraining rx performance in a full duplex 
scenario.  It also leaves the door open to incorrect behaviour in the 
cast of posted writes (think of memcpy_toio()) since the write MPS is 
incorrect.

		-ben
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