Re: [PATCH][RFC] vmchannel a data channel between host and guest.

[Anthony Liguori <aliguori@us.ibm.com>]

Gleb Natapov wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 01:32:35PM -0500, Anthony Liguori wrote:
>   
>>
> netlink was designed to be interface to userspace and is used like this
> by different subsystems (not just network). What full blown socket (and
> by that I presume you mean new address family) will give you over netlink?
> File system? We need a simple stream semantics is this justify another
> virtual file system? The choice was between char device and netlink.
> Nelink was simpler and gives broadcast as a bonus.
>   

The problem that you aren't solving, that IMHO is critical to solve, is 
the namespace issue.  How do you determine who gets to use what channel 
in userspace and in the host?  It's not a problem when you just have one 
tool, but if you expect people to start using this interface, 
arbitrating it quickly becomes a problem.

sockets have a concept of addressing and a vfs has a natural namespace.  
That's what I was suggesting those interfaces.

>   
>> Having a limit of only 4 links seems like a problem to me too.
>>
>>     
> This can be easily extended.
>   

There shouldn't be an inherent limit in the userspace interface.

Regards,

Anthony Liguori