[v2] ethdev: fix device info getting

Message ID 1531449770-107772-1-git-send-email-wenzhuo.lu@intel.com (mailing list archive)
State Superseded, archived
Delegated to: Ferruh Yigit
Headers
Series [v2] ethdev: fix device info getting |

Checks

Context Check Description
ci/checkpatch success coding style OK
ci/Intel-compilation success Compilation OK

Commit Message

Wenzhuo Lu July 13, 2018, 2:42 a.m. UTC
  The device information cannot be gotten correctly before
the configuration is set. Because on some NICs the
information has dependence on the configuration.

Fixes: 3be82f5cc5e3 ("ethdev: support PMD-tuned Tx/Rx parameters")
Signed-off-by: Wenzhuo Lu <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
---
 lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c | 21 +++++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
  

Comments

Andrew Rybchenko July 13, 2018, 8:02 a.m. UTC | #1
Hi, Wenzhuo,

I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous one.
This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.

On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before
> the configuration is set. Because on some NICs the
> information has dependence on the configuration.

Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid behaviour
of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is persistent and
part which may depend on device configuration.

> Fixes: 3be82f5cc5e3 ("ethdev: support PMD-tuned Tx/Rx parameters")
> Signed-off-by: Wenzhuo Lu <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
> ---
>   lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c | 21 +++++++++++----------
>   1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> index 3d556a8..6f606c1 100644
> --- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> +++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> @@ -1022,6 +1022,17 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
>   	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get, -ENOTSUP);
>   	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_configure, -ENOTSUP);
>   
> +	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
> +		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
> +			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
> +			port_id);
> +		return -EBUSY;
> +	}
> +
> +	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure,
> +	 * then get the info.
> +	 */
> +	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf, sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));

It is not a problem of the patch, but I'd like to highlight it to Ferruh 
and
Thomas. What we have in the case of below failures? State is really
inconsistent in the case of reconfigure. We have applied new dev_conf,
but we still have previous Rx/Tx queues which were setup before.

>   	rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
>   
>   	/* If number of queues specified by application for both Rx and Tx is
> @@ -1053,16 +1064,6 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
>   		return -EINVAL;
>   	}
>   
> -	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
> -		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
> -			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
> -			port_id);
> -		return -EBUSY;
> -	}
> -
> -	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure */
> -	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf, sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));
> -
>   	/*
>   	 * Check that the numbers of RX and TX queues are not greater
>   	 * than the maximum number of RX and TX queues supported by the
  
Wenzhuo Lu July 16, 2018, 1:08 a.m. UTC | #2
Hi Andrew,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> 
> Hi, Wenzhuo,
> 
> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous one.
> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
> 
> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
> > configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
> > dependence on the configuration.
> 
> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid behaviour of the
> dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to provide
> information to app about device capabilities to allow app configure device
> and queues correctly. Now we see the case when dev_info changes on
> configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is really suspicious. If we accept it, it
> should be documented.
> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is persistent and part
> which may depend on device configuration.
As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.

> 
> > Fixes: 3be82f5cc5e3 ("ethdev: support PMD-tuned Tx/Rx parameters")
> > Signed-off-by: Wenzhuo Lu <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
> > ---
> >   lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c | 21 +++++++++++----------
> >   1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> > b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c index 3d556a8..6f606c1 100644
> > --- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> > +++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> > @@ -1022,6 +1022,17 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
> >   	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get, -
> ENOTSUP);
> >   	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_configure, -
> ENOTSUP);
> >
> > +	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
> > +		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
> > +			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
> > +			port_id);
> > +		return -EBUSY;
> > +	}
> > +
> > +	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure,
> > +	 * then get the info.
> > +	 */
> > +	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf,
> > +sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));
> 
> It is not a problem of the patch, but I'd like to highlight it to Ferruh and
> Thomas. What we have in the case of below failures? State is really
> inconsistent in the case of reconfigure. We have applied new dev_conf, but
> we still have previous Rx/Tx queues which were setup before.
> 
> >   	rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
> >
> >   	/* If number of queues specified by application for both Rx and Tx
> > is @@ -1053,16 +1064,6 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
> >   		return -EINVAL;
> >   	}
> >
> > -	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
> > -		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
> > -			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
> > -			port_id);
> > -		return -EBUSY;
> > -	}
> > -
> > -	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure */
> > -	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf, sizeof(dev->data-
> >dev_conf));
> > -
> >   	/*
> >   	 * Check that the numbers of RX and TX queues are not greater
> >   	 * than the maximum number of RX and TX queues supported by the
  
Wenzhuo Lu July 16, 2018, 1:58 a.m. UTC | #3
Hi Andrew,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> 
> Hi Andrew,
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> > To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> > Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >
> > Hi, Wenzhuo,
> >
> > I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous one.
> > This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
> >
> > On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > > The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
> > > configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
> > > dependence on the configuration.
> >
> > Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid behaviour
> > of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> > I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to provide
> > information to app about device capabilities to allow app configure
> > device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when dev_info changes
> > on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is really suspicious. If
> > we accept it, it should be documented.
> > May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is persistent
> > and part which may depend on device configuration.
> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised the similar
> suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the user doesn't
> have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the configuration, it calls this API
> "rte_eth_dev_configure". It doesn't know  the configuration is copied before
> getting the info or not.
> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to split it
> into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your comments is about how to use the APIs,
rte_eth_dev_info_get, rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get which should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info before configuration.

A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have some intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human involvement. Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability from the paper copies, examples...

> 
> >
> > > Fixes: 3be82f5cc5e3 ("ethdev: support PMD-tuned Tx/Rx parameters")
> > > Signed-off-by: Wenzhuo Lu <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
> > > ---
> > >   lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c | 21 +++++++++++----------
> > >   1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
> > >
> > > diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> > > b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c index 3d556a8..6f606c1 100644
> > > --- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> > > +++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
> > > @@ -1022,6 +1022,17 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
> > >   	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get, -
> > ENOTSUP);
> > >   	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_configure, -
> > ENOTSUP);
> > >
> > > +	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
> > > +		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
> > > +			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
> > > +			port_id);
> > > +		return -EBUSY;
> > > +	}
> > > +
> > > +	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure,
> > > +	 * then get the info.
> > > +	 */
> > > +	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf,
> > > +sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));
> >
> > It is not a problem of the patch, but I'd like to highlight it to
> > Ferruh and Thomas. What we have in the case of below failures? State
> > is really inconsistent in the case of reconfigure. We have applied new
> > dev_conf, but we still have previous Rx/Tx queues which were setup before.
> >
> > >   	rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
> > >
> > >   	/* If number of queues specified by application for both Rx and
> > > Tx is @@ -1053,16 +1064,6 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
> > >   		return -EINVAL;
> > >   	}
> > >
> > > -	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
> > > -		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
> > > -			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
> > > -			port_id);
> > > -		return -EBUSY;
> > > -	}
> > > -
> > > -	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure */
> > > -	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf, sizeof(dev->data-
> > >dev_conf));
> > > -
> > >   	/*
> > >   	 * Check that the numbers of RX and TX queues are not greater
> > >   	 * than the maximum number of RX and TX queues supported by the
  
Thomas Monjalon Aug. 1, 2018, 3:36 p.m. UTC | #4
16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> Hi Andrew,
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
> > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
> > To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> > Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> > 
> > Hi Andrew,
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > > Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> > > To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> > > Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > > <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> > >
> > > Hi, Wenzhuo,
> > >
> > > I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous one.
> > > This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
> > >
> > > On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > > > The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
> > > > configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
> > > > dependence on the configuration.
> > >
> > > Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid behaviour
> > > of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> > > I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to provide
> > > information to app about device capabilities to allow app configure
> > > device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when dev_info changes
> > > on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is really suspicious. If
> > > we accept it, it should be documented.
> > > May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is persistent
> > > and part which may depend on device configuration.
> > As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised the similar
> > suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
> > The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the user doesn't
> > have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the configuration, it calls this API
> > "rte_eth_dev_configure". It doesn't know  the configuration is copied before
> > getting the info or not.
> > So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to split it
> > into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your comments is about how to use the APIs,
> rte_eth_dev_info_get, rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get which should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info before configuration.
> 
> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have some intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human involvement. Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability from the paper copies, examples...

I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability
of these infos.
Either infos cannot change after probing,
or we must document that the app must request infos regularly (when?).
  
Wenzhuo Lu Aug. 13, 2018, 2:50 a.m. UTC | #5
Hi Thomas,


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> 
> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> > Hi Andrew,
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
> > > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
> > > To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> > > Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > > <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> > >
> > > Hi Andrew,
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > > > Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> > > > To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> > > > Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > > > <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > > > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> > > >
> > > > Hi, Wenzhuo,
> > > >
> > > > I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous one.
> > > > This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
> > > >
> > > > On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > > > > The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
> > > > > configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
> > > > > dependence on the configuration.
> > > >
> > > > Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
> > > > behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> > > > I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
> > > > provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
> > > > configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
> > > > dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
> > > > really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
> > > > May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
> > > > persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
> > > As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
> > > the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
> > > The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
> > > user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
> > > configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It doesn't
> > > know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
> > > So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
> > > split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
> > Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
> > comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to get
> the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or after. It's
> reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
> > But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get which
> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info before
> configuration.
> >
> > A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have some
> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the capability
> is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human involvement.
> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability from
> the paper copies, examples...
> 
> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these infos.
> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that the app
> must request infos regularly (when?).
Sorry, I missed this mail.

I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic fields. Like,
Changing 
uint16_t nb_rx_queues;
to
struct nb_rx_queues {
uint16_t value;
bool stable;
}
By default, the stable is false. Then every NIC can maintain its own behavior.

Some fileds that must be stable can be left unchanged, like, driver_name, max_rx_queues.

As this patch is just reversing a bad commit to fix a bug, if my idea sounds good or worth discussing, I can send another RFC mail for it.
  
Andrew Rybchenko Aug. 13, 2018, 8:38 a.m. UTC | #6
On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> Hi Thomas,
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>
>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>
>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous one.
>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
>>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
>>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
>>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
>>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
>>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
>>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
>>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
>>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It doesn't
>>>> know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
>>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
>>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to get
>> the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or after. It's
>> reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
>>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get which
>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info before
>> configuration.
>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have some
>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the capability
>> is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human involvement.
>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability from
>> the paper copies, examples...
>>
>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these infos.
>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that the app
>> must request infos regularly (when?).
> Sorry, I missed this mail.
>
> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic fields. Like,
> Changing
> uint16_t nb_rx_queues;
> to
> struct nb_rx_queues {
> uint16_t value;
> bool stable;
> }

May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is 
mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app 
configure, get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and 
stop when previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it 
sounds really bad. In any case it would over-complicate interface and no 
single app will do it correctly.

Stable dev_info is simple. If there are real cases when something can't 
be stable (and may be recommended Rx/Tx ring sizes is good example, it 
should at least documented in dev_info structure description or may be 
moved to separate API.

> By default, the stable is false. Then every NIC can maintain its own behavior.
>
> Some fileds that must be stable can be left unchanged, like, driver_name, max_rx_queues.
>
> As this patch is just reversing a bad commit to fix a bug, if my idea sounds good or worth discussing, I can send another RFC mail for it.
>
  
Wenzhuo Lu Aug. 14, 2018, 12:57 a.m. UTC | #7
Hi Andrew,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> 
> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > Hi Thomas,
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> >> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
> >> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
> >> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> >> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> >> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>
> >> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> >>> Hi Andrew,
> >>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
> >>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
> >>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> >>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> >>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>>>
> >>>> Hi Andrew,
> >>>>
> >>>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> >>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> >>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> >>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> >>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> >>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous
> one.
> >>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> >>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
> >>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
> >>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
> >>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
> >>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> >>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
> >>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
> >>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
> >>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
> >>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
> >>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
> >>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
> >>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
> >>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
> >>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
> >>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
> >>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It
> >>>> doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
> >>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
> >>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
> >>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
> >>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
> >> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to
> >> get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or
> >> after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
> >>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get
> >>> which
> >> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info
> >> before configuration.
> >>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have
> >>> some
> >> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the
> >> capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human
> involvement.
> >> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability
> >> from the paper copies, examples...
> >>
> >> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
> >> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these
> infos.
> >> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that
> >> the app must request infos regularly (when?).
> > Sorry, I missed this mail.
> >
> > I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info
> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may
> better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with
> handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
> > I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic
> > fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct nb_rx_queues {
> > uint16_t value; bool stable; }
> 
> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is
> mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app configure,
> get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and stop when
> previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app will do it
> correctly.
I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger than it. That's enough.
nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the GUI to show the value to human being.

BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF. If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF can get a new number.

> 
> Stable dev_info is simple. If there are real cases when something can't be
> stable (and may be recommended Rx/Tx ring sizes is good example, it should
> at least documented in dev_info structure description or may be moved to
> separate API.
> 
> > By default, the stable is false. Then every NIC can maintain its own
> behavior.
> >
> > Some fileds that must be stable can be left unchanged, like, driver_name,
> max_rx_queues.
> >
> > As this patch is just reversing a bad commit to fix a bug, if my idea sounds
> good or worth discussing, I can send another RFC mail for it.
> >
  
Ferruh Yigit Aug. 22, 2018, 4:55 p.m. UTC | #8
On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> Hi Andrew,
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>
>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>>> Hi Thomas,
>>>
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
>>>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>
>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
>>>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous
>> one.
>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
>>>>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
>>>>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
>>>>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
>>>>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
>>>>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
>>>>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
>>>>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
>>>>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It
>>>>>> doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
>>>>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
>>>>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to
>>>> get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or
>>>> after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
>>>>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get
>>>>> which
>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info
>>>> before configuration.
>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have
>>>>> some
>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the
>>>> capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human
>> involvement.
>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability
>>>> from the paper copies, examples...
>>>>
>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these
>> infos.
>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that
>>>> the app must request infos regularly (when?).
>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
>>>
>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info
>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may
>> better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with
>> handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic
>>> fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct nb_rx_queues {
>>> uint16_t value; bool stable; }
>>
>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is
>> mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app configure,
>> get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and stop when
>> previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app will do it
>> correctly.
> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger than it. That's enough.
> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the GUI to show the value to human being.
> 
> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF. If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF can get a new number.

"struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
- static info, like *device
- device limitations, max_*, *_lim
- device capabilities, *_capa
- suggested configurations, default_*conf
- device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
- other, switch_info

There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not new, for
example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API
and rte_eth_dev_info() output will be changed.
For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other config values
looks ok as concept.
So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev info can be
changed.

But rte_eth_dev_info_get() has been called within rte_eth_dev_configure()
creating a cyclic dependency, this is forcing copy the user provided config
before rte_eth_dev_info().

This case the concern of copying user provided config to device config in early
stages cause inconsistent data in error case, this is valid concern and
unfortunately already an issue with the current implementation.

What would you think keep the logic in this patch but improve it with save and
restore existing device config for error cases?

> 
>>
>> Stable dev_info is simple. If there are real cases when something can't be
>> stable (and may be recommended Rx/Tx ring sizes is good example, it should
>> at least documented in dev_info structure description or may be moved to
>> separate API.
>>
>>> By default, the stable is false. Then every NIC can maintain its own
>> behavior.
>>>
>>> Some fileds that must be stable can be left unchanged, like, driver_name,
>> max_rx_queues.
>>>
>>> As this patch is just reversing a bad commit to fix a bug, if my idea sounds
>> good or worth discussing, I can send another RFC mail for it.
>>>
>
  
Andrew Rybchenko Aug. 23, 2018, 8:58 a.m. UTC | #9
On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>> Hi Andrew,
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>
>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>>>> Hi Thomas,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
>>>>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>
>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
>>>>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
>>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous
>>> one.
>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
>>>>>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
>>>>>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
>>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
>>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
>>>>>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
>>>>>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
>>>>>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
>>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
>>>>>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
>>>>>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
>>>>>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It
>>>>>>> doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
>>>>>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
>>>>>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to
>>>>> get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or
>>>>> after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get
>>>>>> which
>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info
>>>>> before configuration.
>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have
>>>>>> some
>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the
>>>>> capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human
>>> involvement.
>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability
>>>>> from the paper copies, examples...
>>>>>
>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these
>>> infos.
>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that
>>>>> the app must request infos regularly (when?).
>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
>>>>
>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info
>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may
>>> better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with
>>> handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic
>>>> fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct nb_rx_queues {
>>>> uint16_t value; bool stable; }
>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is
>>> mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app configure,
>>> get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and stop when
>>> previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app will do it
>>> correctly.
>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger than it. That's enough.
>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the GUI to show the value to human being.
>>
>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF. If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF can get a new number.
> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
> - static info, like *device
> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
> - device capabilities, *_capa
> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
> - other, switch_info
>
> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not new, for
> example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API
> and rte_eth_dev_info() output will be changed.

The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes directly
requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it changes.

> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other config values
> looks ok as concept.
> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev info can be
> changed.

I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in any
changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more specific.
Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.

> But rte_eth_dev_info_get() has been called within rte_eth_dev_configure()
> creating a cyclic dependency, this is forcing copy the user provided config
> before rte_eth_dev_info().
>
> This case the concern of copying user provided config to device config in early
> stages cause inconsistent data in error case, this is valid concern and
> unfortunately already an issue with the current implementation.
>
> What would you think keep the logic in this patch but improve it with save and
> restore existing device config for error cases?
>
>>> Stable dev_info is simple. If there are real cases when something can't be
>>> stable (and may be recommended Rx/Tx ring sizes is good example, it should
>>> at least documented in dev_info structure description or may be moved to
>>> separate API.
>>>
>>>> By default, the stable is false. Then every NIC can maintain its own
>>> behavior.
>>>> Some fileds that must be stable can be left unchanged, like, driver_name,
>>> max_rx_queues.
>>>> As this patch is just reversing a bad commit to fix a bug, if my idea sounds
>>> good or worth discussing, I can send another RFC mail for it.
  
Ferruh Yigit Oct. 22, 2018, 12:01 p.m. UTC | #10
On 8/23/2018 9:58 AM, Andrew Rybchenko wrote:
> On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
>> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>
>>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>>>>> Hi Thomas,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
>>>>>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
>>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
>>>>>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
>>>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous
>>>> one.
>>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
>>>>>>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
>>>>>>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
>>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
>>>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
>>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
>>>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
>>>>>>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
>>>>>>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
>>>>>>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
>>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
>>>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
>>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
>>>>>>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
>>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
>>>>>>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
>>>>>>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It
>>>>>>>> doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
>>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
>>>>>>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
>>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
>>>>>>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to
>>>>>> get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or
>>>>>> after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
>>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get
>>>>>>> which
>>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info
>>>>>> before configuration.
>>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have
>>>>>>> some
>>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the
>>>>>> capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human
>>>> involvement.
>>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability
>>>>>> from the paper copies, examples...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
>>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these
>>>> infos.
>>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that
>>>>>> the app must request infos regularly (when?).
>>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info
>>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may
>>>> better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with
>>>> handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
>>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic
>>>>> fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct nb_rx_queues {
>>>>> uint16_t value; bool stable; }
>>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is
>>>> mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app configure,
>>>> get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and stop when
>>>> previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
>>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app will do it
>>>> correctly.
>>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger than it. That's enough.
>>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the GUI to show the value to human being.
>>>
>>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
>>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF. If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF can get a new number.
>> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
>> - static info, like *device
>> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
>> - device capabilities, *_capa
>> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
>> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
>> - other, switch_info
>>
>> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not new, for
>> example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API
>> and rte_eth_dev_info() output will be changed.
> 
> The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes directly
> requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it changes.
> 
>> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other config values
>> looks ok as concept.
>> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev info can be
>> changed.
> 
> I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in any
> changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more specific.
> Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.

Hi Andrew, Wenzhuo,

Back to this patch, which fixes an actual defect,

What do you think about:
1- Keep existing patch but extend it as, save the original "dev->data" and
revert it back to this original data on all error path.
2- Update rte_eth_dev_info() API document and say default configuration can be
changed based on other config fields. So this reduces the scope of things can
change in dev_info.

Thanks,
ferruh

> 
>> But rte_eth_dev_info_get() has been called within rte_eth_dev_configure()
>> creating a cyclic dependency, this is forcing copy the user provided config
>> before rte_eth_dev_info().
>>
>> This case the concern of copying user provided config to device config in early
>> stages cause inconsistent data in error case, this is valid concern and
>> unfortunately already an issue with the current implementation.
>>
>> What would you think keep the logic in this patch but improve it with save and
>> restore existing device config for error cases?
>>
>>>> Stable dev_info is simple. If there are real cases when something can't be
>>>> stable (and may be recommended Rx/Tx ring sizes is good example, it should
>>>> at least documented in dev_info structure description or may be moved to
>>>> separate API.
>>>>
>>>>> By default, the stable is false. Then every NIC can maintain its own
>>>> behavior.
>>>>> Some fileds that must be stable can be left unchanged, like, driver_name,
>>>> max_rx_queues.
>>>>> As this patch is just reversing a bad commit to fix a bug, if my idea sounds
>>>> good or worth discussing, I can send another RFC mail for it.
> 
>
  
Thomas Monjalon Oct. 22, 2018, 12:13 p.m. UTC | #11
22/10/2018 14:01, Ferruh Yigit:
> On 8/23/2018 9:58 AM, Andrew Rybchenko wrote:
> > On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
> >> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> >>> Hi Andrew,
> >>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> >>>> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
> >>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> >>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> >>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> >>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>>>
> >>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> >>>>> Hi Thomas,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> >>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
> >>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
> >>>>>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> >>>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> >>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> >>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>>>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
> >>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
> >>>>>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> >>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> >>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> >>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> >>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> >>>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> >>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> >>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> >>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous
> >>>> one.
> >>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
> >>>>>>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
> >>>>>>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
> >>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
> >>>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> >>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
> >>>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
> >>>>>>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
> >>>>>>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
> >>>>>>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
> >>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
> >>>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
> >>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
> >>>>>>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
> >>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
> >>>>>>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
> >>>>>>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It
> >>>>>>>> doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
> >>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
> >>>>>>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
> >>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
> >>>>>>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
> >>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to
> >>>>>> get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or
> >>>>>> after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
> >>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get
> >>>>>>> which
> >>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info
> >>>>>> before configuration.
> >>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have
> >>>>>>> some
> >>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the
> >>>>>> capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human
> >>>> involvement.
> >>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability
> >>>>>> from the paper copies, examples...
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
> >>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these
> >>>> infos.
> >>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that
> >>>>>> the app must request infos regularly (when?).
> >>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info
> >>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may
> >>>> better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with
> >>>> handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
> >>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic
> >>>>> fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct nb_rx_queues {
> >>>>> uint16_t value; bool stable; }
> >>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is
> >>>> mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app configure,
> >>>> get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and stop when
> >>>> previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
> >>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app will do it
> >>>> correctly.
> >>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger than it. That's enough.
> >>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the GUI to show the value to human being.
> >>>
> >>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
> >>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF. If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF can get a new number.
> >> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
> >> - static info, like *device
> >> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
> >> - device capabilities, *_capa
> >> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
> >> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
> >> - other, switch_info
> >>
> >> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not new, for
> >> example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API
> >> and rte_eth_dev_info() output will be changed.
> > 
> > The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes directly
> > requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it changes.
> > 
> >> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other config values
> >> looks ok as concept.
> >> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev info can be
> >> changed.
> > 
> > I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in any
> > changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more specific.
> > Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.
> 
> Hi Andrew, Wenzhuo,
> 
> Back to this patch, which fixes an actual defect,
> 
> What do you think about:
> 1- Keep existing patch but extend it as, save the original "dev->data" and
> revert it back to this original data on all error path.
> 2- Update rte_eth_dev_info() API document and say default configuration can be
> changed based on other config fields. So this reduces the scope of things can
> change in dev_info.

I think we are doing too much juggling with data in ethdev layer.
All these things should be the responsibility of the PMD.
My radical proposal would be to remove rte_eth_dev_info and integrate
all the data into rte_eth_dev_data.
  
Wenzhuo Lu Oct. 23, 2018, 1:25 a.m. UTC | #12
Hi Thomas, Ferruh, Andrew,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2018 8:13 PM
> To: dev@dpdk.org
> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> 
> 22/10/2018 14:01, Ferruh Yigit:
> > On 8/23/2018 9:58 AM, Andrew Rybchenko wrote:
> > > On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
> > >> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > >>> Hi Andrew,
> > >>>
> > >>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > >>>> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
> > >>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > >>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> > >>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> > >>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info
> > >>>> getting
> > >>>>
> > >>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > >>>>> Hi Thomas,
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> > >>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
> > >>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
> > >>>>>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh
> > >>>>>> <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> > >>>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> > >>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info
> > >>>>>> getting
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> > >>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>>>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu,
> > >>>>>>>> Wenzhuo
> > >>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
> > >>>>>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>;
> > >>>>>>>> dev@dpdk.org
> > >>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > >>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > >>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info
> > >>>>>>>> getting
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > >>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
> > >>>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
> > >>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
> > >>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > >>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info
> > >>>>>>>>> getting
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the
> > >>>>>>>>> previous
> > >>>> one.
> > >>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev
> maintainers.
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before
> > >>>>>>>>>> the configuration is set. Because on some NICs the
> > >>>>>>>>>> information has dependence on the configuration.
> > >>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
> > >>>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> > >>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
> > >>>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to
> > >>>>>>>>> allow app configure device and queues correctly. Now we see
> > >>>>>>>>> the case when dev_info changes on configure. May be it is
> > >>>>>>>>> acceptable, but it is really suspicious. If we accept it, it should
> be documented.
> > >>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
> > >>>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
> > >>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've
> > >>>>>>>> raised the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it
> happen.
> > >>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So
> > >>>>>>>> the user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs
> > >>>>>>>> the configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure".
> > >>>>>>>> It doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the
> info or not.
> > >>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only
> > >>>>>>>> need to split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot
> make it.
> > >>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again.
> > >>>>>>> Your comments is about how to use the APIs,
> > >>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_info_get,
> > >>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is
> > >>>>>> just to get the info. It can be called anywhere, before
> > >>>>>> configuration or after. It's reasonable the info changes with the
> configuration changing.
> > >>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like,
> > >>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_capability_get which
> > >>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary
> > >>>>>> info before configuration.
> > >>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should
> > >>>>>>> have some
> > >>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting
> > >>>>>> the capability is not so good and effective, looks like we
> > >>>>>> still need the human
> > >>>> involvement.
> > >>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the
> > >>>>>> capability from the paper copies, examples...
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
> > >>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability
> > >>>>>> of these
> > >>>> infos.
> > >>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document
> > >>>>>> that the app must request infos regularly (when?).
> > >>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior.
> > >>>>> One info
> > >>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this,
> > >>>> we may better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs.
> > >>>> And comparing with handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every
> NIC has its own decision.
> > >>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential
> > >>>>> dynamic fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct
> > >>>>> nb_rx_queues { uint16_t value; bool stable; }
> > >>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand
> > >>>> nb_rx_queues is mainly required to configure the device properly.
> > >>>> Or should app configure, get new value, reconfigure again, get
> > >>>> new value and so on and stop when previous is equal to the new one.
> Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
> > >>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app
> > >>>> will do it correctly.
> > >>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info
> before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger
> than it. That's enough.
> > >>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and
> how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the
> GUI to show the value to human being.
> > >>>
> > >>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that
> some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
> > >>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally
> max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by
> PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF.
> If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF
> can get a new number.
> > >> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
> > >> - static info, like *device
> > >> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
> > >> - device capabilities, *_capa
> > >> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
> > >> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
> > >> - other, switch_info
> > >>
> > >> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not
> > >> new, for example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by
> > >> rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API and rte_eth_dev_info() output
> will be changed.
> > >
> > > The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes directly
> > > requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it changes.
> > >
> > >> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other
> > >> config values looks ok as concept.
> > >> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev
> > >> info can be changed.
> > >
> > > I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in any
> > > changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more specific.
> > > Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.
> >
> > Hi Andrew, Wenzhuo,
> >
> > Back to this patch, which fixes an actual defect,
> >
> > What do you think about:
> > 1- Keep existing patch but extend it as, save the original "dev->data"
> > and revert it back to this original data on all error path.
> > 2- Update rte_eth_dev_info() API document and say default
> > configuration can be changed based on other config fields. So this
> > reduces the scope of things can change in dev_info.
> 
> I think we are doing too much juggling with data in ethdev layer.
> All these things should be the responsibility of the PMD.
> My radical proposal would be to remove rte_eth_dev_info and integrate all
> the data into rte_eth_dev_data.
> 
Sorry for missing this discussion. It's a good discussion about how to optimize the rte_eth.
But I have to say that above discussion can reach a huge reconsitution of the rte_eth and impact every PMD. Is that fair? 
This patch is only try to revert a bad commit as we already find bug. As I remember, at the beginning, Andrew said the discussion may not about the patch but generic. So could we just tell if this patch itself OK at first?  Thanks.
  
Thomas Monjalon Oct. 23, 2018, 7:28 a.m. UTC | #13
23/10/2018 03:25, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> Hi Thomas, Ferruh, Andrew,
> 
> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> > 22/10/2018 14:01, Ferruh Yigit:
> > > On 8/23/2018 9:58 AM, Andrew Rybchenko wrote:
> > > > On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
> > > >> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > > >>> Hi Andrew,
> > > >>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > > >>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > > >>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> > > >>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> > > >>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
> > > >>>>>>> From: Lu, Wenzhuo
> > > >>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > > >>>>>>>>>
> > > >>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
> > > >>>>>>>>>
> > > >>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the
> > > >>>>>>>>> previous
> > > >>>> one.
> > > >>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev
> > maintainers.
> > > >>>>>>>>>
> > > >>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > > >>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before
> > > >>>>>>>>>> the configuration is set. Because on some NICs the
> > > >>>>>>>>>> information has dependence on the configuration.
> > > >>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
> > > >>>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
> > > >>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
> > > >>>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to
> > > >>>>>>>>> allow app configure device and queues correctly. Now we see
> > > >>>>>>>>> the case when dev_info changes on configure. May be it is
> > > >>>>>>>>> acceptable, but it is really suspicious. If we accept it, it should
> > be documented.
> > > >>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
> > > >>>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
> > > >>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've
> > > >>>>>>>> raised the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it
> > happen.
> > > >>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So
> > > >>>>>>>> the user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs
> > > >>>>>>>> the configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure".
> > > >>>>>>>> It doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the
> > info or not.
> > > >>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only
> > > >>>>>>>> need to split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot
> > make it.
> > > >>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again.
> > > >>>>>>> Your comments is about how to use the APIs,
> > > >>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_info_get,
> > > >>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is
> > > >>>>>> just to get the info. It can be called anywhere, before
> > > >>>>>> configuration or after. It's reasonable the info changes with the
> > configuration changing.
> > > >>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like,
> > > >>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_capability_get which
> > > >>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary
> > > >>>>>> info before configuration.
> > > >>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should
> > > >>>>>>> have some
> > > >>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting
> > > >>>>>> the capability is not so good and effective, looks like we
> > > >>>>>> still need the human
> > > >>>> involvement.
> > > >>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the
> > > >>>>>> capability from the paper copies, examples...
> > > >>>>>>
> > > >>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
> > > >>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability
> > > >>>>>> of these
> > > >>>> infos.
> > > >>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document
> > > >>>>>> that the app must request infos regularly (when?).
> > > >>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior.
> > > >>>>> One info
> > > >>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this,
> > > >>>> we may better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs.
> > > >>>> And comparing with handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every
> > NIC has its own decision.
> > > >>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential
> > > >>>>> dynamic fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct
> > > >>>>> nb_rx_queues { uint16_t value; bool stable; }
> > > >>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand
> > > >>>> nb_rx_queues is mainly required to configure the device properly.
> > > >>>> Or should app configure, get new value, reconfigure again, get
> > > >>>> new value and so on and stop when previous is equal to the new one.
> > Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
> > > >>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app
> > > >>>> will do it correctly.
> > > >>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info
> > before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger
> > than it. That's enough.
> > > >>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and
> > how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the
> > GUI to show the value to human being.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that
> > some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
> > > >>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally
> > max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by
> > PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF.
> > If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF
> > can get a new number.
> > > >> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
> > > >> - static info, like *device
> > > >> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
> > > >> - device capabilities, *_capa
> > > >> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
> > > >> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
> > > >> - other, switch_info
> > > >>
> > > >> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not
> > > >> new, for example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by
> > > >> rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API and rte_eth_dev_info() output
> > will be changed.
> > > >
> > > > The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes directly
> > > > requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it changes.
> > > >
> > > >> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other
> > > >> config values looks ok as concept.
> > > >> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev
> > > >> info can be changed.
> > > >
> > > > I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in any
> > > > changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more specific.
> > > > Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.
> > >
> > > Hi Andrew, Wenzhuo,
> > >
> > > Back to this patch, which fixes an actual defect,
> > >
> > > What do you think about:
> > > 1- Keep existing patch but extend it as, save the original "dev->data"
> > > and revert it back to this original data on all error path.
> > > 2- Update rte_eth_dev_info() API document and say default
> > > configuration can be changed based on other config fields. So this
> > > reduces the scope of things can change in dev_info.
> > 
> > I think we are doing too much juggling with data in ethdev layer.
> > All these things should be the responsibility of the PMD.
> > My radical proposal would be to remove rte_eth_dev_info and integrate all
> > the data into rte_eth_dev_data.
> > 
> Sorry for missing this discussion. It's a good discussion about how to optimize the rte_eth.
> But I have to say that above discussion can reach a huge reconsitution of the rte_eth and impact every PMD. Is that fair? 
> This patch is only try to revert a bad commit as we already find bug. As I remember, at the beginning, Andrew said the discussion may not about the patch but generic. So could we just tell if this patch itself OK at first?  Thanks.

I have no strong opinion about your patch.
Sorry, I am more interested by a possible future big clean-up.
About a temporary fix, I am OK if Ferruh and Andrew are OK.
  
Wenzhuo Lu Nov. 6, 2018, 12:56 a.m. UTC | #14
Hi Ferruh, Andrew,


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2018 3:29 PM
> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
> Cc: dev@dpdk.org; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Andrew
> Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
> 
> 23/10/2018 03:25, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> > Hi Thomas, Ferruh, Andrew,
> >
> > From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> > > 22/10/2018 14:01, Ferruh Yigit:
> > > > On 8/23/2018 9:58 AM, Andrew Rybchenko wrote:
> > > > > On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
> > > > >> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > > > >>> Hi Andrew,
> > > > >>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > > > >>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
> > > > >>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
> > > > >>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
> > > > >>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
> > > > >>>>>>> From: Lu, Wenzhuo
> > > > >>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko
> [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
> > > > >>>>>>>>>
> > > > >>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
> > > > >>>>>>>>>
> > > > >>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than
> > > > >>>>>>>>> the previous
> > > > >>>> one.
> > > > >>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev
> > > maintainers.
> > > > >>>>>>>>>
> > > > >>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
> > > > >>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly
> > > > >>>>>>>>>> before the configuration is set. Because on some NICs
> > > > >>>>>>>>>> the information has dependence on the configuration.
> > > > >>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it
> > > > >>>>>>>>> valid behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after
> configuration?
> > > > >>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info
> > > > >>>>>>>>> is to provide information to app about device
> > > > >>>>>>>>> capabilities to allow app configure device and queues
> > > > >>>>>>>>> correctly. Now we see the case when dev_info changes on
> > > > >>>>>>>>> configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is really
> > > > >>>>>>>>> suspicious. If we accept it, it should
> > > be documented.
> > > > >>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which
> > > > >>>>>>>>> is persistent and part which may depend on device
> configuration.
> > > > >>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :)
> > > > >>>>>>>> I've raised the similar suggestion like this. But we
> > > > >>>>>>>> don’t make it
> > > happen.
> > > > >>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior.
> > > > >>>>>>>> So the user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it
> > > > >>>>>>>> inputs the configuration, it calls this API
> "rte_eth_dev_configure".
> > > > >>>>>>>> It doesn't know  the configuration is copied before
> > > > >>>>>>>> getting the
> > > info or not.
> > > > >>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We
> > > > >>>>>>>> only need to split it into parts when we do see the case
> > > > >>>>>>>> that cannot
> > > make it.
> > > > >>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again.
> > > > >>>>>>> Your comments is about how to use the APIs,
> > > > >>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_info_get,
> > > > >>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get
> > > > >>>>>> is just to get the info. It can be called anywhere, before
> > > > >>>>>> configuration or after. It's reasonable the info changes
> > > > >>>>>> with the
> > > configuration changing.
> > > > >>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like,
> > > > >>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_capability_get which
> > > > >>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary
> > > > >>>>>> info before configuration.
> > > > >>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP
> > > > >>>>>>> should have some
> > > > >>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So
> > > > >>>>>> getting the capability is not so good and effective, looks
> > > > >>>>>> like we still need the human
> > > > >>>> involvement.
> > > > >>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the
> > > > >>>>>> capability from the paper copies, examples...
> > > > >>>>>>
> > > > >>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
> > > > >>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the
> > > > >>>>>> stability of these
> > > > >>>> infos.
> > > > >>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must
> > > > >>>>>> document that the app must request infos regularly (when?).
> > > > >>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
> > > > >>>>>
> > > > >>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior.
> > > > >>>>> One info
> > > > >>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering
> > > > >>>> this, we may better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2
> APIs.
> > > > >>>> And comparing with handling this in rte layer, maybe we can
> > > > >>>> let every
> > > NIC has its own decision.
> > > > >>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential
> > > > >>>>> dynamic fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to
> > > > >>>>> struct nb_rx_queues { uint16_t value; bool stable; }
> > > > >>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand
> > > > >>>> nb_rx_queues is mainly required to configure the device properly.
> > > > >>>> Or should app configure, get new value, reconfigure again,
> > > > >>>> get new value and so on and stop when previous is equal to the
> new one.
> > > Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
> > > > >>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single
> > > > >>>> app will do it correctly.
> > > > >>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that
> > > > >>> info
> > > before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not
> > > larger than it. That's enough.
> > > > >>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP
> > > > >>> and
> > > how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used
> > > by the GUI to show the value to human being.
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that
> > > some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
> > > > >>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.),
> > > > >>> normally
> > > max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is
> > > decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default
> value from PF.
> > > If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number
> > > works, VF can get a new number.
> > > > >> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
> > > > >> - static info, like *device
> > > > >> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
> > > > >> - device capabilities, *_capa
> > > > >> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
> > > > >> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
> > > > >> - other, switch_info
> > > > >>
> > > > >> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is
> > > > >> not new, for example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by
> > > > >> rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API and rte_eth_dev_info()
> > > > >> output
> > > will be changed.
> > > > >
> > > > > The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes
> > > > > directly requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it
> changes.
> > > > >
> > > > >> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some
> > > > >> other config values looks ok as concept.
> > > > >> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev
> > > > >> info can be changed.
> > > > >
> > > > > I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in
> > > > > any changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more
> specific.
> > > > > Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.
> > > >
> > > > Hi Andrew, Wenzhuo,
> > > >
> > > > Back to this patch, which fixes an actual defect,
> > > >
> > > > What do you think about:
> > > > 1- Keep existing patch but extend it as, save the original "dev->data"
> > > > and revert it back to this original data on all error path.
> > > > 2- Update rte_eth_dev_info() API document and say default
> > > > configuration can be changed based on other config fields. So this
> > > > reduces the scope of things can change in dev_info.
> > >
> > > I think we are doing too much juggling with data in ethdev layer.
> > > All these things should be the responsibility of the PMD.
> > > My radical proposal would be to remove rte_eth_dev_info and
> > > integrate all the data into rte_eth_dev_data.
> > >
> > Sorry for missing this discussion. It's a good discussion about how to
> optimize the rte_eth.
> > But I have to say that above discussion can reach a huge reconsitution of
> the rte_eth and impact every PMD. Is that fair?
> > This patch is only try to revert a bad commit as we already find bug. As I
> remember, at the beginning, Andrew said the discussion may not about the
> patch but generic. So could we just tell if this patch itself OK at first?  Thanks.
> 
> I have no strong opinion about your patch.
> Sorry, I am more interested by a possible future big clean-up.
> About a temporary fix, I am OK if Ferruh and Andrew are OK.
About this patch itself, is it OK? If so, would you like ack it? Thanks.
  
Andrew Rybchenko Nov. 6, 2018, 7:40 a.m. UTC | #15
On 10/22/18 3:13 PM, Thomas Monjalon wrote:
> 22/10/2018 14:01, Ferruh Yigit:
>> On 8/23/2018 9:58 AM, Andrew Rybchenko wrote:
>>> On 22.08.2018 19:55, Ferruh Yigit wrote:
>>>> On 8/14/2018 1:57 AM, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>>>> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 4:39 PM
>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 13.08.2018 05:50, Lu, Wenzhuo wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Thomas,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>> From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas@monjalon.net]
>>>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 11:37 PM
>>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; Andrew Rybchenko
>>>>>>>> <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
>>>>>>>> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 16/07/2018 03:58, Lu, Wenzhuo:
>>>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Lu, Wenzhuo
>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:08 AM
>>>>>>>>>> To: Andrew Rybchenko <arybchenko@solarflare.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>>> From: Andrew Rybchenko [mailto:arybchenko@solarflare.com]
>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:03 PM
>>>>>>>>>>> To: Lu, Wenzhuo <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>; dev@dpdk.org
>>>>>>>>>>> Cc: Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>; Thomas Monjalon
>>>>>>>>>>> <thomas@monjalon.net>
>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v2] ethdev: fix device info getting
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Hi, Wenzhuo,
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I'm sorry, but I have more even harder questions than the previous
>>>>>> one.
>>>>>>>>>>> This questions are rather generic and mainly to ethdev maintainers.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On 13.07.2018 05:42, Wenzhuo Lu wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> The device information cannot be gotten correctly before the
>>>>>>>>>>>> configuration is set. Because on some NICs the information has
>>>>>>>>>>>> dependence on the configuration.
>>>>>>>>>>> Thinking about it I have the following question. Is it valid
>>>>>>>>>>> behaviour of the dev_info if it changes after configuration?
>>>>>>>>>>> I always thought that the primary goal of the dev_info is to
>>>>>>>>>>> provide information to app about device capabilities to allow app
>>>>>>>>>>> configure device and queues correctly. Now we see the case when
>>>>>>>>>>> dev_info changes on configure. May be it is acceptable, but it is
>>>>>>>>>>> really suspicious. If we accept it, it should be documented.
>>>>>>>>>>> May be dev_info should be split into parts: part which is
>>>>>>>>>>> persistent and part which may depend on device configuration.
>>>>>>>>>> As I remember, the similar discussion has happened :) I've raised
>>>>>>>>>> the similar suggestion like this. But we don’t make it happen.
>>>>>>>>>> The reason is, you see, this is the rte layer's behavior. So the
>>>>>>>>>> user doesn't have to know it. From APP's PoV, it inputs the
>>>>>>>>>> configuration, it calls this API "rte_eth_dev_configure". It
>>>>>>>>>> doesn't know  the configuration is copied before getting the info or not.
>>>>>>>>>> So, to my opinion, we can still keep the behavior. We only need to
>>>>>>>>>> split it into parts when we do see the case that cannot make it.
>>>>>>>>> Maybe I talked too much about the patch. Think about it again. Your
>>>>>>>>> comments is about how to use the APIs, rte_eth_dev_info_get,
>>>>>>>> rte_eth_dev_configure. To my opinion, rte_eth_dev_info_get is just to
>>>>>>>> get the info. It can be called anywhere, before configuration or
>>>>>>>> after. It's reasonable the info changes with the configuration changing.
>>>>>>>>> But we do have something missing, like, rte_eth_dev_capability_get
>>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>> should be stable. APP can use this API to get the necessary info
>>>>>>>> before configuration.
>>>>>>>>> A question, maybe a little divergent thinking, that APP should have
>>>>>>>>> some
>>>>>>>> intelligence to handle the capability automatically. So getting the
>>>>>>>> capability is not so good and effective, looks like we still need the human
>>>>>> involvement.
>>>>>>>> Maybe that the reason currently we suppose APP know the capability
>>>>>>>> from the paper copies, examples...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I am not sure to understand all the sentences.
>>>>>>>> But I agree that we should take a decision about the stability of these
>>>>>> infos.
>>>>>>>> Either infos cannot change after probing, or we must document that
>>>>>>>> the app must request infos regularly (when?).
>>>>>>> Sorry, I missed this mail.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have the concern that different NICs have different behavior. One info
>>>>>> can be stable on a NIC but dynamic on another. Considering this, we may
>>>>>> better not splitting the rte_eth_dev_info_get to 2 APIs. And comparing with
>>>>>> handling this in rte layer, maybe we can let every NIC has its own decision.
>>>>>>> I have an idea. Maybe we can add a parameter for potential dynamic
>>>>>>> fields. Like, Changing uint16_t nb_rx_queues; to struct nb_rx_queues {
>>>>>>> uint16_t value; bool stable; }
>>>>>> May be it is just very bad example, but as I understand nb_rx_queues is
>>>>>> mainly required to configure the device properly. Or should app configure,
>>>>>> get new value, reconfigure again, get new value and so on and stop when
>>>>>> previous is equal to the new one. Yes, I dramatise and it sounds really bad.
>>>>>> In any case it would over-complicate interface and no single app will do it
>>>>>> correctly.
>>>>> I  think you're talking about max_rx_queues. APP can get that info before configuration. Then configure rx queue number which is not larger than it. That's enough.
>>>>> nb_rx_queues should be the number which is configured by APP and how many queues are actually used. To my opinion, it's mainly used by the GUI to show the value to human being.
>>>>>
>>>>> BTW, max_rx_queues could be an good example that shows that some parameters are stable on some NICs but not on other NICs.
>>>>> Take Intel NICs for example (I don’t familiar with others.), normally max_rx_queues is stable on PF. But on VF, as the max number is decided by PF, it could be dynamic. When VF starts, it can get an default value from PF. If it not enough, it can request a larger one from PF. If the number works, VF can get a new number.
>>>> "struct rte_eth_dev_info" is a little overloaded, it has:
>>>> - static info, like *device
>>>> - device limitations, max_*, *_lim
>>>> - device capabilities, *_capa
>>>> - suggested configurations, default_*conf
>>>> - device configuration, nb_[r/t]x_queues
>>>> - other, switch_info
>>>>
>>>> There is a concern that some values are dynamic, but this is not new, for
>>>> example nb_rx/tx_queues can be changed by rte_eth_dev_rx/tx_queue_config() API
>>>> and rte_eth_dev_info() output will be changed.
>>> The example looks different to me. It is explicit changes directly
>>> requested by the application. So, it is not a surprise that it changes.
>>>
>>>> For this patch suggested configuration changes based on some other config values
>>>> looks ok as concept.
>>>> So I think we can say after every configuration related API dev info can be
>>>> changed.
>>> I think that saying that any configuration changes may result in any
>>> changes in dev_info is hardly helpful. I'd suggest to be more specific.
>>> Yes, it is harder and will have bugs, but at least it is helpful.
>> Hi Andrew, Wenzhuo,
>>
>> Back to this patch, which fixes an actual defect,
>>
>> What do you think about:
>> 1- Keep existing patch but extend it as, save the original "dev->data" and
>> revert it back to this original data on all error path.

I guess you mean dev->data->dev_conf here. If so, OK.

>> 2- Update rte_eth_dev_info() API document and say default configuration can be
>> changed based on other config fields. So this reduces the scope of things can
>> change in dev_info.

Yes, it looks like many items in rte_eth_conf may change defaults
(Rx/Tx modes, offloads, loopback mode, intr_conf). However, it should be
highlighted that it is device configuration (struct rte_eth_conf), not 
per-queue
configuration.

> I think we are doing too much juggling with data in ethdev layer.
> All these things should be the responsibility of the PMD.
> My radical proposal would be to remove rte_eth_dev_info and integrate
> all the data into rte_eth_dev_data.

I think it is a bad idea. It is too error-prone since it will require from
PMD to spread the logic and update rte_eth_dev_data in each place
which should change it. I think existing functional interface is the
right approach here. However, we cannot say that dev_info may
change after any configuration action - it could make application
impossible or very hard to configure the device properly (get dev_info,
find the best settings, try to configure starting from the most important,
rollback in the case of failure and retry other ways).
  

Patch

diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 3d556a8..6f606c1 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -1022,6 +1022,17 @@  struct rte_eth_dev *
 	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get, -ENOTSUP);
 	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_configure, -ENOTSUP);
 
+	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
+		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
+			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
+			port_id);
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+
+	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure,
+	 * then get the info.
+	 */
+	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf, sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));
 	rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
 
 	/* If number of queues specified by application for both Rx and Tx is
@@ -1053,16 +1064,6 @@  struct rte_eth_dev *
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	if (dev->data->dev_started) {
-		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
-			"Port %u must be stopped to allow configuration\n",
-			port_id);
-		return -EBUSY;
-	}
-
-	/* Copy the dev_conf parameter into the dev structure */
-	memcpy(&dev->data->dev_conf, &local_conf, sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));
-
 	/*
 	 * Check that the numbers of RX and TX queues are not greater
 	 * than the maximum number of RX and TX queues supported by the