netdev - Re: [PATCH v2.53] datapath: Add basic MPLS support to kernel

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Message-ID: <20140207161549.GB30416@nicira.com>
Date:	Fri, 7 Feb 2014 08:15:49 -0800
From:	Ben Pfaff <blp@...ira.com>
To:	Jesse Gross <jesse@...ira.com>, Simon Horman <horms@...ge.net.au>
Cc:	dev@...nvswitch.org, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	Pravin B Shelar <pshelar@...ira.com>,
	Ravi K <rkerur@...il.com>, Joe Stringer <joe@...d.net.nz>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2.53] datapath: Add basic MPLS support to kernel

On Wed, Feb 05, 2014 at 05:54:38PM +0900, Simon Horman wrote:
> * Ben has explained to me that there has been a change of direction
>   at the ONF with regards to MPLS and VLAN tag ordering. As per
>   his changelog for "Always insert MPLS labels after VLAN tags",
>   the situation is now as follows:
> 
>   * OpenFlow 1.1 and 1.2 always inserted MPLS labels after VLAN tags.
>   * OpenFlow 1.3 and 1.4 insert MPLS labels before VLAN tags.
>   * OpenFlow 1.3.4 and 1.5, both in preparation, recognize that the change
>     in 1.3 was an error and revert it.
> 
>   With this in mind only OF1.4 specifies a requirement for inserting MPLS
>   labels before VLAN tags. This appears to be an abbertation at this
>   point.
> 
>   Ben's suggestion as per his patch "Always insert MPLS labels after VLAN
>   tags" is that Open vSwtich should only support inserting MPLS labels
>   after VLAN tags. I agree with this. And to this end I have
>   updated the MPLS code for the kernel datapath (this patch).

I spoke to Jesse briefly about MPLS versus VLANs a few days ago.  He
expressed a concern about the larger problem of figuring out how all the
various forms of tags should interact: VLAN, MPLS, PBB, and others that
I can't think of at the moment.  It would be more consistent from this
higher point of view if "push" and "pop" actions always acted in a
predictable place.

I agree with that point, but it still stands that I don't know of a
well-defined way for VLAN-inside-MPLS to function.  So here is my
proposal for you and Jesse to consider:

        - The datapath push_mpls action is well-defined when no VLAN is
          present.  Great.

        - Declare the behavior of the datapath push_mpls action to be
          undefined in the presence of a VLAN for now, since we don't
          really know what should happen.  For now, make the datapaths
          reject any flow that does push_mpls in the presence of a VLAN.
          Later, we can redefine that case as we please since userspace
          should not depend on the previous behavior.

        - Modify userspace to pop_vlan, push_mpls, push_vlan if
          necessary to avoid the undefined behavior.

Jesse, is that reasonable?
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