netdev - Re: [PATCH net-next 1/3] net: ethtool: Track pause storm events

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Message-ID: <aXSQrWBbkwS5hqXU@pengutronix.de>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2026 10:28:13 +0100
From: Oleksij Rempel <o.rempel@...gutronix.de>
To: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>
Cc: Mohsin Bashir <mohsin.bashr@...il.com>, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	alexanderduyck@...com, alok.a.tiwari@...cle.com,
	andrew+netdev@...n.ch, andrew@...n.ch, chuck.lever@...cle.com,
	davem@...emloft.net, donald.hunter@...il.com, edumazet@...gle.com,
	gal@...dia.com, horms@...nel.org, idosch@...dia.com,
	jacob.e.keller@...el.com, kernel-team@...a.com,
	kory.maincent@...tlin.com, lee@...ger.us, pabeni@...hat.com,
	vadim.fedorenko@...ux.dev
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next 1/3] net: ethtool: Track pause storm events

On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 02:15:27PM -0800, Jakub Kicinski wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:27:19 +0100 Oleksij Rempel wrote:
> > > +      -
> > > +        name: tx-pause-storm-events
> > > +        type: u64
> > > +        doc: >-
> > > +            TX pause storm event count. Increments each time device
> > > +            detects that its pause assertion condition has been true
> > > +            for too long for normal operation. As a result, the device
> > > +            has temporarily disabled its own Pause TX function to
> > > +            protect the network from itself.
> > > +            This counter should never increment under normal overload
> > > +            conditions; it indicates catastrophic failure like an OS
> > > +            crash. The rate of incrementing is implementation specific.  
> > 
> > Hm, we already have the tx pause frame counters. So, the anomaly is
> > visible to the user anyway (even if it isn't explicitly labeled as an
> > anomaly).
> 
> We are trying to prove a negative here, that's why we need a new
> counter. As the doc says this counter should indicate that storm
> is never actually detected under normal conditions. Another thing
> to keep in mind is that we're talking about metric collection at scale,
> so every 1min to 5min.
> 
> > What is not visible to the user is when HW or SW disables flow control.
> > Maybe that is what the counter should represent and be named? Would
> > tx-pause-auto-disabled-events make sense?
> 
> According to our existing uAPI for PFC pause storm is the term of art.

Fair enough. If it is aligned with the existing interface and doing the
same thing, there is no reason to continue this discussion.

For the uAPI part:
Reviewed-by: Oleksij Rempel <o.rempel@...gutronix.de> 

Thank you,
Oleksij
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