linux-kernel - Re: Add a helper function in PCI IOV to get VF device

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date:	Tue, 8 Jun 2010 15:12:44 -0700
From:	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>
To:	Frank Pan <frankpzh@...il.com>
Cc:	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>,
	"Williams, Mitch A" <mitch.a.williams@...el.com>,
	Greg KH <greg@...ah.com>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Jesse Barnes <jbarnes@...tuousgeek.org>,
	Kenji Kaneshige <kaneshige.kenji@...fujitsu.com>,
	"Rafael J. Wysocki" <rjw@...k.pl>,
	"David S. Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
	Matt Carlson <mcarlson@...adcom.com>,
	"linux-pci@...r.kernel.org" <linux-pci@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Add a helper function in PCI IOV to get VF device

* Frank Pan (frankpzh@...il.com) wrote:
> > VF is often loaded on the physical machine.  There's also a networking
> > specific mechanism for querying and configuring a VF via the PF.
> ? I don't really understand. What do you mean load? I don't think
> physical machine is able to use it as a hardware device.

Yes, it is possible.  Your example of igb...igbvf driver can be loaded
on physical machine and drive a VF instance.  In fact, this is a pretty
normal mode for KVM.

> > While your patch is simple, it's unclear to me what your end goal is.
> > The patch itself only adds a function. if you showed how you are
> > planning to use it, that would really help.
> Currently my hack is applied on 2.6.18 because of xen's limitation. As
> Mitch says, igb driver is significantly different with recent ones. On
> the other hand, my hack just exposes several PCI configuration and
> MMIO registers to the sysfs, you will only understand the use case
> when you also see the userspace hacks.

OK, but this sounds like the wrong approach.  We already have a
mechanism for using the PF to program a VF.  Have a look at the netlink
interface.  Specifically, do_setvfinfo().

thanks,
-chris
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/