netdev - Re: L2 switching in igb

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Date:	Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:30:09 -0700
From:	Alexander Duyck <alexander.h.duyck@...el.com>
To:	Or Gerlitz <ogerlitz@...taire.com>
CC:	Alexander Duyck <alexander.duyck@...il.com>,
	"Kirsher, Jeffrey T" <jeffrey.t.kirsher@...el.com>,
	"Fischer, Anna" <anna.fischer@...com>,
	"netdev@...r.kernel.org" <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>,
	Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: L2 switching in igb

Or Gerlitz wrote:
> Note that VEPA mode is a characteristic of the PF, correct? and the PF 
> resides in the host kernel. Also, as I wrote you earlier, I do see many 
> schemes where a VF spawned in the host kernel IS very useful, and as 
> such I'd be happy to continue the discussion on the approach suggested 
> by Dave and Stephen, can you provide a pointer? (thanks).
> 
> Or.

You are correct, the vSwitch can basically do VEPA by disabling local 
loopback enable bit in the DTXSWC register.  This would force all 
traffic from the PF/VFs out the lan physical port and from the lan 
physical port to the appropriate PF/VFs without doing any switching in 
between PF/VFs.

I am currently thinking what probably needs to be done is to add an 
rtnl_link_ops interface to handle vSwitch configuration that could then 
be applied to the igb netdevs that support VEPA/vSwitch technologies.  A 
subset of that interface could then be dedicated to VF configuration to 
handle things such as spawning VFs, setting the default mac addresses, 
security controls, etc.

Thanks,

Alex

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