From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "David S. Miller" Subject: Re: VJ Channel API - driver level (PATCH) Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 13:35:16 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <20060503.133516.104938819.davem@davemloft.net> References: <54AD0F12E08D1541B826BE97C98F99F149E880@NT-SJCA-0751.brcm.ad.broadcom.com> <20060503180740.GA14506@2ka.mipt.ru> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: caitlinb@broadcom.com, Leonid.Grossman@neterion.com, shemminger@osdl.org, alex@neterion.com, netdev@vger.kernel.org Return-path: Received: from dsl027-180-168.sfo1.dsl.speakeasy.net ([216.27.180.168]:57240 "EHLO sunset.davemloft.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750826AbWECUfR (ORCPT ); Wed, 3 May 2006 16:35:17 -0400 To: johnpol@2ka.mipt.ru In-Reply-To: <20060503180740.GA14506@2ka.mipt.ru> Sender: netdev-owner@vger.kernel.org List-Id: netdev.vger.kernel.org From: Evgeniy Polyakov Date: Wed, 3 May 2006 22:07:40 +0400 > On Wed, May 03, 2006 at 08:56:23AM -0700, Caitlin Bestler (caitlinb@broadcom.com) wrote: > > > I'd expect high end NIC ASICs to implement rx steering based > > > upon some sort of hash (for load balancing), as well as > > > explicit "1:1" steering between a sw channel and a hw > > > channel. Both options for channel configuration are present > > > in the driver interface. > > > If netfilter assists can be done in hardware, I agree the > > > driver interface will need to add support for these - > > > otherwise, netfilter processing will stay above the driver. > > > > > > > > > > Even if the hardware cannot fully implement netfilter rules > > there is still value in having an interface that documents > > exactly how much filtering a given piece of hardware can do. > > There is no point in having the kernel repeat packet classifications > > that have already been done by the NIC. > > Please do not suppose that vj channel must rely on underlaying hardware. I am not. I am just saying that it is futile to build hardware that cannot handle netfilter at least to some extent, because this will result in HW net channels being disabled for %99 of real users which makes the hardware just a waste.