From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Chris Friesen Subject: suggestion for routing code improvement Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 13:51:12 -0400 Sender: owner-netdev@oss.sgi.com Message-ID: <3CB47B90.B4CF1FAD@nortelnetworks.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: To: netdev@oss.sgi.com List-Id: netdev.vger.kernel.org Well, we're into a new experimental branch, so I figured the time had come to bring back an idea that didn't make it in a year ago. Currently, if you add custom routes and then down the device that the routes are associated with, the routes are then removed. This is entirely understandable. However, when you then up the interface, the routes do not come back up automatically. This is the part that I don't agree with. Addresses, automatic routes, and custom rules either stay in effect or are brought back up by the system when an interface is downed and then upped. The only exception to this is custom routes. I propose that these custom routes be stored in some fashion, and then be brought back up when the device is brought back up. This would make certain types of link management much simpler. Custom routes, once added, would stay in effect until explicitly removed. As it stands now, any time you down/up a link you have to then go back and add all the custom routes again. This can be a pain in the butt. So, what do you guys think? Is this a reasonable thing to do? I think that it makes the system nicely symmetrical, as opposed to the asymmetrical handling of current kernels. I don't have a really good grasp of what data structures are avialable to us in the routing code, so could someone with a better understanding of the code comment as to how hard this would be to implement? Thanks, Chris -- Chris Friesen | MailStop: 043/33/F10 Nortel Networks | work: (613) 765-0557 3500 Carling Avenue | fax: (613) 765-2986 Nepean, ON K2H 8E9 Canada | email: cfriesen@nortelnetworks.com