linux-kernel - AF_IPN: Inter Process Networking, try these...

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Message-ID: <20071207211804.GA8293@cs.unibo.it>
Date:	Fri, 7 Dec 2007 22:18:05 +0100
From:	renzo@...unibo.it (Renzo Davoli)
To:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>
Cc:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>, cfriesen@...tel.com,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: AF_IPN: Inter Process Networking, try these...

Andi, David,

I disagree. If you suspect we would be better using IP multicast, I think
your suspects are not supported.
Try the following exercises, please.... Can you provide better solutions
without IPN?

	renzo

Exercise #1.
I am a user (NOT ROOT), I like kvm, qemu etc. I want an efficient network
between my VM.

My solution:
I Create a IPN socket, with protocol IPN_VDESWITCH and all the VM can
communicate.

Your solution:
- I am condamned by two kernel developers to run the switch in the userland 
- I beg the sysadm to give me some pre-allocated taps connected together
by a kernel bridge.
- I create a multicast socket limited to this host (TTL=0) and I use it
like a hub. It cannot switch the packets.                               

Exercise #2.
I am a sysadm (maybe a lab administrator). I want my users (not root)
of the group "vmenabled" to run their VM connected to a network. 
I have hundreds of users in vmenabled(say students).

My Solution:
I create a IPN socket, with protocol IPN_VDESWITCH, connected to a virtual
interface say ipn0. I give to the socket permission 760 owner
root:vmenabled.

Your solution:
- I am condamned by two kernel developers to run the switch in the userland
- I create a multicast socket connected to a tap and then I define iptables
filters to avoid unauthorized users to join the net.
- I create hundreds of preallocated tap interfaces, at least one per user.

Exercise #3.
I am a user (NOT ROOT) and I have a heavy stream of *very private data* 
generated by some processes that must be received by several processes.
I am looking for an efficient solution.
Data can be ASCII strings, or a binary stream.
It is not a "networking" issue, it is just IPC.

My solution.
I Create a IPN socket with permission 700, IPN_BROADCAST protocol. All 
the processes connect to the socket either for writing or for reading (or both).

Your solution:
- I am condamned by two kernel developers to use userland inefficient
solutions like named pipes, tee, or a user daemon among AF_UNIX sockets.
- If I use multicast, others can read the stream.
(security by obscurity? the attacker do not know the address?)
- I use a multicast socket with SSL (it sounds funny to use encryption
  to talk with myself, exposing the stream to crypto attack).
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