netdev - Re: [patch net-next v2 01/15] net: introduce upper device lists

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Message-ID: <20120814160055.1e948456@nehalam.linuxnetplumber.net>
Date:	Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:00:55 -0700
From:	Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@...tta.com>
To:	Ben Hutchings <bhutchings@...arflare.com>
Cc:	Jiri Pirko <jiri@...nulli.us>, <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
	<davem@...emloft.net>, <edumazet@...gle.com>,
	<faisal.latif@...el.com>, <roland@...nel.org>,
	<sean.hefty@...el.com>, <hal.rosenstock@...il.com>,
	<fubar@...ibm.com>, <andy@...yhouse.net>, <divy@...lsio.com>,
	<jitendra.kalsaria@...gic.com>, <sony.chacko@...gic.com>,
	<linux-driver@...gic.com>, <kaber@...sh.net>,
	<ursula.braun@...ibm.com>, <blaschka@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	<linux390@...ibm.com>, <therbert@...gle.com>,
	<xiyou.wangcong@...il.com>, <joe@...ches.com>,
	<gregory.v.rose@...el.com>, <john.r.fastabend@...el.com>,
	<linux-rdma@...r.kernel.org>, <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	<linux-s390@...r.kernel.org>, <bridge@...ts.linux-foundation.org>,
	<fbl@...hat.com>
Subject: Re: [patch net-next v2 01/15] net: introduce upper device lists

On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:33:44 +0100
Ben Hutchings <bhutchings@...arflare.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 2012-08-14 at 17:05 +0200, Jiri Pirko wrote:
> > This lists are supposed to serve for storing pointers to all upper devices.
> > Eventually it will replace dev->master pointer which is used for
> > bonding, bridge, team but it cannot be used for vlan, macvlan where
> > there might be multiple upper present. In case the upper link is
> > replacement for dev->master, it is marked with "master" flag.
> 
> Something I found interesting is that the dev->master pointer and now
> netdev_master_upper_dev_get{,_rcu}() are hardly used by the stackled
> drivers that set the master.  They also have to set an rx_handler on the
> lower device (which is itself mutually exclusive) which gets its own
> context pointer (rx_handler_data).
> 
> Instead, the master pointer is mostly used by device drivers to find out
> about a bridge or bonding device above *their* devices.  And that seems
> to work only for those specific device drivers, not e.g. openvswitch or
> team.  I wonder if we could find a better way to encapsulate the things
> they want do do, in a later step (not holding up this change!).

The concept is master is very useful to user level config things like
Vyatta for seeing parent/child relationship. Since is in ABI now, it
must stay.

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