RE: [PATCH v12 04/16] baseband/acc: introduce PMD for ACC200

["Chautru, Nicolas" <nicolas.chautru@intel.com>]

Hi Thomas, 
Reminder : do you mind kindly clarifying/confirming below. Then we can update the docs accordingly. Thanks. 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chautru, Nicolas
> Sent: Monday, October 31, 2022 2:41 PM
> To: Thomas Monjalon <thomas@monjalon.net>
> Cc: dev@dpdk.org; gakhil@marvell.com; maxime.coquelin@redhat.com;
> trix@redhat.com; Richardson, Bruce <bruce.richardson@intel.com>;
> hemant.agrawal@nxp.com; david.marchand@redhat.com;
> stephen@networkplumber.org; Vargas, Hernan <Hernan.Vargas@intel.com>
> Subject: RE: [PATCH v12 04/16] baseband/acc: introduce PMD for ACC200
> 
> Hi Thomas,
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Thomas Monjalon <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > 31/10/2022 16:43, Chautru, Nicolas:
> > > From: Thomas Monjalon <thomas@monjalon.net>
> > > > 12/10/2022 19:59, Nicolas Chautru:
> > > > > +Bind PF UIO driver(s)
> > > > > +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > > > +
> > > > > +Install the DPDK igb_uio driver, bind it with the PF PCI device
> > > > > +ID and use ``lspci`` to confirm the PF device is under use by
> > > > > +``igb_uio`` DPDK
> > > > UIO driver.
> > > >
> > > > igb_uio is not recommended.
> > > > Please focus on VFIO first.
> > > >
> > > > > +The igb_uio driver may be bound to the PF PCI device using one
> > > > > +of two methods for ACC200:
> > > > > +
> > > > > +
> > > > > +1. PCI functions (physical or virtual, depending on the use
> > > > > +case) can be bound to the UIO driver by repeating this command
> > > > > +for every
> > function.
> > > > > +
> > > > > +.. code-block:: console
> > > > > +
> > > > > +  cd <dpdk-top-level-directory>  insmod ./build/kmod/igb_uio.ko
> > > > > + echo "8086 57c0" > /sys/bus/pci/drivers/igb_uio/new_id
> > > > > +  lspci -vd8086:57c0
> > > > > +
> > > > > +
> > > > > +2. Another way to bind PF with DPDK UIO driver is by using the
> > > > > +``dpdk-devbind.py`` tool
> > > > > +
> > > > > +.. code-block:: console
> > > > > +
> > > > > +  cd <dpdk-top-level-directory>  ./usertools/dpdk-devbind.py -b
> > > > > + igb_uio 0000:f7:00.0
> > > > > +
> > > > > +where the PCI device ID (example: 0000:f7:00.0) is obtained
> > > > > +using lspci -vd8086:57c0
> > > >
> > > > This binding is not specific to the driver.
> > > > It would be better to refer to the Linux guide instead of
> > > > duplicating it again and again.
> > > >
> > > > > +In a similar way the PF may be bound with vfio-pci as any PCIe device.
> > > >
> > > > You could mention igb_uio here.
> > > > Is there any advantage in using igb_uio?
> > > >
> > >
> > > Igb_uio is arguably easier to use to new user tend to start with it
> > > or specific
> > ecosystem. This is typically the entry point (no iommu, no flr below
> > the bonnet, no vfio token...) hence good to have a bit of handholding
> > with a couple of lines capturing how to easily run a few tests. I
> > don't believe this is too redundant to have these few lines compared
> > to the help in bring to the user not having to double guess their steps.
> > > More generally there are a number of module drivers combinations
> > > that are
> > supported based on different deployments. We don't document in too
> > much details for the details since that is not too ACC specific and
> > there is more documentation no pf_bb_config repo for using the PMD from
> the VF..
> > >
> > > Basically Thomas let us know more explicitly what you are suggesting
> > > as
> > documentation update. You just want more emphasis on vfio-pci flow
> > (which is fair, some of it documented on pf_bb_config including the
> > vfio token passing but we can reproduce here as well) or something else?
> >
> > There are 2 things to change:
> > 1/ igb_uio is going to be deprecated, so we must emphasize on VFIO
> 
> Is there a date for deprecation? Do you mean to EOL the dpdk-kmods
> repository itself; or something more specific for DPDK code like removing
> RTE_PCI_KDRV_IGB_UIO; or last to just take out from documentation?
> It tends to be historical but uio has value notably for ease of use.
> 
> 2/ for doc
> > maintenance, it is better to have common steps described in one place.
> > If needed, you can change the common doc and refer to it.
> 
> Do you mean to remove these sections and just add a pointer to
> https://doc.dpdk.org/guides/linux_gsg/linux_drivers.html instead in all these
> bbdev PMDS?
> Please kindly confirm. I see specific steps for binding in many other PMDs docs
> in DPDK, a bit redundant but provides simple steps specific to a PMD in one
> place. I don't mind either way.
> 
> Thanks
> Nic
>