Re: [PATCH 14/14] IB/mad: Add final OPA MAD processing

[Hal Rosenstock <hal-LDSdmyG8hGV8YrgS2mwiifqBs+8SCbDb@public.gmane.org>]

On 6/11/2015 7:52 PM, Hefty, Sean wrote:
>>> I agree that the node type enum isn't particularly useful and should be
>> retired.
>>
>> Are you referring to kernel space or user space or both ?
> 
> Short term, kernel space.  User space needs to keep something around for backwards compatibility.
> 
> But the in tree code will never expose this value up.
> 
>>> But even if we do, I'm not sure this is the correct approach.  I don't
>> know this for a fact,
>>> but it seems more likely that someone would embed Linux on an IB switch
>> than they would plug an IB switch
>>> into a Linux based system.  The code is designed around the latter.
>> Making this a system wide setting might simplify the code and optimize the
>> code paths.
>>
>> I think we need to discuss how user space would be addressed.
> 
> This is an issue with out of tree drivers.  We're having to guess what things might be doing.  
> Are all devices being exposed up as a 'switch', or is there ever a case where there's a 'switch' device 
> and an HCA device being reported together, or (highly unlikely) a switch device and an RNIC?

Gateways are comprised of switch + HCA devices. There are other more
complex cases of multiple devices.

> If the real use case is to embed Linux on a switch, then we could look at making that a system wide setting, 
> rather than per device.  This could clean up the kernel without impacting the uABI.

I think that system wide is too limiting and it needs to be on a per
device basis.
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