netdev - Re: [rfc] Merging the Open vSwitch datapath

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Date:	Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:11:30 -0700
From:	Jesse Gross <jesse@...ira.com>
To:	Simon Horman <horms@...ge.net.au>
Cc:	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>,
	"Rose, Gregory V" <gregory.v.rose@...el.com>,
	Ben Pfaff <blp@...ira.com>,
	"netdev@...r.kernel.org" <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
	Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Herbert Xu <herbert@...dor.hengli.com.au>,
	Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>,
	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
Subject: Re: [rfc] Merging the Open vSwitch datapath

On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 6:01 PM, Simon Horman <horms@...ge.net.au> wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 05:54:10PM -0700, Chris Wright wrote:
>> * Simon Horman (horms@...ge.net.au) wrote:
>> > On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 01:59:07PM -0700, Chris Wright wrote:
>> > > * Rose, Gregory V (gregory.v.rose@...el.com) wrote:
>> > > > >From: Ben Pfaff [mailto:blp@...ira.com]
>> > > > >On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 11:26:17AM -0700, Rose, Gregory V wrote:
>> > > > >> I just want to put in a plug for the netlink interface.  For NICs with
>> > > > >> EVB we'll need it.
>> > > > >
>> > > > >Off-hand, the main reasons to use Netlink, instead of the existing
>> > > > >character device interface, are that Netlink is easier to extend and
>> > > > >that it should reduce or eliminate the 32-to-64 bit compat layer
>> > > > >currently in the Open vSwitch tree.
>> > >
>> > > That, plus it's a typical way to do network configuration.  Esp. with
>> > > bi-directional communication.  So the userspace bit both listens to
>> > > netlink messages, like any of the routing daemons or lldpad or similar
>> > > do, and sends netlink messasges to update driver's flow table.
>> > >
>> > > BTW, this kind of discussion was why Herbert felt strongly against
>> > > drivers/staging/.  He wanted to be sure the interfaces were well-defined
>> > > first.
>> >
>> > Is the implication that there is a preference for finalising
>> > the interface (as much as that is possible) before merging?
>>
>> I'll let Herbert chime in, just reminder that was his thought earlier
>> this month at LinuxCon.
>
> Thanks, I must confess that had slipped my mind.

I think it might be worth delaying the merge until we at least have a
starting point.  As the userspace interface is such an important
aspect of the code, I don't want to ask people to review code that is
expected to undergo a large change soon (obviously comments are always
welcome at any time).  It's probably also more productive to have a
discussion about minor improvements to a proposed interface than a
free-for-all.

As Ben mentioned, he's working on designing a Netlink-based interface
now.  It shouldn't take too long to get a first cut out the door so
we'll have something concrete to discuss.  I'll certainly be the first
one to promote the different uses that are possible with Open vSwitch
but I don't want too get bogged down in the details of future features
now.  As long as the interface doesn't have serious problems
precluding future work, we can merge the existing code and then move
onto new things.
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