linux-kernel - Re: [net-next RFC PATCH 0/6] Add support for qca8k mdio rw in Ethernet packet

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Date:   Tue, 7 Dec 2021 16:15:51 +0100
From:   Andrew Lunn <andrew@...n.ch>
To:     Ansuel Smith <ansuelsmth@...il.com>
Cc:     Vivien Didelot <vivien.didelot@...il.com>,
        Florian Fainelli <f.fainelli@...il.com>,
        Vladimir Oltean <olteanv@...il.com>,
        "David S. Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
        Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        netdev@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [net-next RFC PATCH 0/6] Add support for qca8k mdio rw in
 Ethernet packet

On Tue, Dec 07, 2021 at 03:59:36PM +0100, Ansuel Smith wrote:
> Hi, this is still WIP and currently has some problem but I would love if
> someone can give this a superficial review and answer to some problem
> with this.
> 
> The main reason for this is that we notice some routing problem in the
> switch and it seems assisted learning is needed. Considering mdio is
> quite slow due to the indirect write using this Ethernet alternative way
> seems to be quicker.
> 
> The qca8k switch supports a special way to pass mdio read/write request
> using specially crafted Ethernet packet.

Oh! Cool! Marvell has this as well, and i suspect a few others. It is
something i've wanted to work on for a long long time, but never had
the opportunity.

This also means that, even if you are focusing on qca8k, please try to
think what could be generic, and what should specific to the
qca8k. The idea of sending an Ethernet frame and sometime later
receiving a reply should be generic and usable for other DSA
drivers. The contents of those frames needs to be driver specific.
How we hook this into MDIO might also be generic, maybe.

I will look at your questions later, but soon.

  Andrew