netdev - Re: [PATCH net-next] docs: networking: clarify expectation of persistent stats

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Message-ID: <aLrDvpAsVq4vTytH@naveenm-PowerEdge-T630>
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2025 16:34:30 +0530
From: Naveen Mamindlapalli <naveenm@...vell.com>
To: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>
CC: <davem@...emloft.net>, <edumazet@...gle.com>, <pabeni@...hat.com>,
        <horms@...nel.org>, <corbet@....net>, <andrew@...n.ch>,
        <netdev@...r.kernel.org>, <linux-doc@...r.kernel.org>,
        <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next] docs: networking: clarify expectation of
 persistent stats

On 2025-08-27 at 06:14:57, Jakub Kicinski (kuba@...nel.org) wrote:
> On Mon, 25 Aug 2025 19:17:55 +0530 Naveen Mamindlapalli wrote:
> > -Statistics must persist across routine operations like bringing the interface
> > -down and up.
> > +Statistics are expected to persist across routine operations like bringing the
> 
> Please don't weaken the requirement. The requirements is what it is.
Ack on not weakening the requirement.
> 
> > +interface down and up. This includes both standard interface statistics and
> > +driver-defined statistics reported via `ethtool -S`.
> 
> Rest of the paragraph looks good, but I think the preferred form of
> quotations is double back ticks? Most of this doc doesn't comply but
> let's stick to double when adding new stuff.
Ack.
> 
> > +However, this behavior is not always strictly followed, and some drivers do
> > +reset these counters to zero when the device is closed and reopened. This can
> > +lead to misinterpretation of network behavior by monitoring tools, such as
> > +SNMP, that expect monotonically increasing counters.
> > +
> > +Driver authors are expected to preserve statistics across interface down/up
> > +cycles to ensure consistent reporting and better integration with monitoring
> > +tools that consume these statistics.
> 
> This feels like too many words. How about:
> 
> Note that the following legacy drivers do not comply with this requirement
> and cannot be fixed without breaking existing users:
>  - driver1
>  - driver2
>  ...
I don’t have a definitive list of non-compliant drivers. Would you prefer to add
a brief note stating that some drivers may not comply, without naming them explicitly?

Regards,
Naveen
> -- 
> pw-bot: cr
>