netdev - Re: HW communication debugging interface

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Message-ID: <20151005085406.GC2278@nanopsycho.orion>
Date:	Mon, 5 Oct 2015 10:54:06 +0200
From:	Jiri Pirko <jiri@...nulli.us>
To:	davem@...emloft.net
Cc:	netdev@...r.kernel.org, eladr@...lanox.com, idosch@...lanox.com
Subject: Re: HW communication debugging interface - ideas?

Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 03:51:41PM CEST, jiri@...nulli.us wrote:
>Hi Dave/all.
>
>There is quite common for drivers to speak with HW using "packet-like"
>messages. In our case, we put message into skb and push that out as
>an ordinary packet. HW then sends us reply in a packet, similar to other
>rx-ed packets.
>
>It makes sense to monitor this communication. Not only for debugging
>during development, but mainly for collecting data for error reports
>from users.
>
>Very cool usecase is to teach wireshark to parse this communication so
>one can actually see online what is going on.
>
>Now the question is, what is the correct way to expose this
>communication to userspace. Naturally, this interface should be read-only.
>Also, the interface should be generic enough so it can be used for all
>drivers, including non-net drivers.
>
>1) Special monitoring netdev.
>Might make sense to use a separate netdev. Is is easy to tap the
>communication. Driver would just create new netdev and push incoming and
>outgoing messages there. Downside is that there would be needed to wrap the
>messages with some metadata header, which seems quite odd.
>
>2) generic Netlink (genl) interface. Easy to put metadata in, including the
>device identificator (pci address). User then can use nlmon in order to
>be able to use wireshark to see the netlink messages.
>
>Looks like 2) might be viable, well-defined, generic interface to carry
>this info. What do you think? Does this make sense?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Jiri

Any ideas, anyone, Dave, please?

Thanks!
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