From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mails.dpdk.org (mails.dpdk.org [217.70.189.124]) by inbox.dpdk.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9DB88A0093; Tue, 10 May 2022 18:20:46 +0200 (CEST) Received: from [217.70.189.124] (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mails.dpdk.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4B8B2410EE; Tue, 10 May 2022 18:20:46 +0200 (CEST) Received: from out4-smtp.messagingengine.com (out4-smtp.messagingengine.com [66.111.4.28]) by mails.dpdk.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 20410406B4 for ; Tue, 10 May 2022 18:20:45 +0200 (CEST) Received: from compute3.internal (compute3.nyi.internal [10.202.2.43]) by mailout.nyi.internal (Postfix) with ESMTP id BEBDD5C01B7; Tue, 10 May 2022 12:20:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: from mailfrontend2 ([10.202.2.163]) by compute3.internal (MEProxy); Tue, 10 May 2022 12:20:44 -0400 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=monjalon.net; h= cc:cc:content-transfer-encoding:content-type:date:date:from:from :in-reply-to:in-reply-to:message-id:mime-version:references :reply-to:sender:subject:subject:to:to; s=fm1; t=1652199644; x= 1652286044; bh=2Z4gHbe+sZpfA2MCg+Ew7k9cCKHScf9vSTskDe36xWI=; b=N r8ZDypAhFvtFd18S16dxjUr8qq7oAvFimUlN23VGkSWOAcGQUfm9VyBQRqICyC3y 5Dv+9DFt0MtkEixTOiv+1Qy1EAHUmfr2azdj0YC+KqRSyQ6ggSh+SAnI6UPczP98 a7R+++NNtGvpSCn0vrGmIjMb99u6UDjXqu1T+wvd/N81+k/zwy/95tLRLjTgM3Wc IXo0/c6r4gQKNcdGbg1bQYb6AwK9+BxIdcqAkZEiSViSrGmQwu7t0gKFZUfy4yZz 7ZfCM4DSO8vdAkavQWWg5e0qPtI+dhdQIvsF+IuAVNbNU1vJgI0qgauC4OSULVl5 IdzecEmF9I41kLmQWttug== DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d= messagingengine.com; h=cc:cc:content-transfer-encoding :content-type:date:date:from:from:in-reply-to:in-reply-to :message-id:mime-version:references:reply-to:sender:subject :subject:to:to:x-me-proxy:x-me-proxy:x-me-sender:x-me-sender :x-sasl-enc; s=fm1; t=1652199644; x=1652286044; bh=2Z4gHbe+sZpfA 2MCg+Ew7k9cCKHScf9vSTskDe36xWI=; b=Ms7qj05s7lDvcbBcIPk/FEku+3tQz mll30XrodPjSLVLVS18UOrsJ0J05VoDsd8owVAjR8bwl3mc3+EpldTtwNKzsKWdD ISVtsItp+5shj/ZWnOXwEVovZrIhAyp01cHfqrBFPc/iDbvuXdimsDEtSS1ToyqM pC7cEXIZg4IYueEATk2VC4FDe5NQmwyc4Ame048HdU60Wg+ZAJM74BUMiQ4vBN1V crC35U/Us+veLSKB4IrVMexfdluOcXJpgR0Ahn55MG2HsQBqMfGlq8DIDppgYuDq Z99S3BWF/fJhCQBWqMd2oatTndjrIBW8OFSxslx/1/Jn9BTuS/Oc2srpA== X-ME-Sender: X-ME-Received: X-ME-Proxy-Cause: gggruggvucftvghtrhhoucdtuddrgedvfedrgedugdelgecutefuodetggdotefrodftvf curfhrohhfihhlvgemucfhrghsthforghilhdpqfgfvfdpuffrtefokffrpgfnqfghnecu uegrihhlohhuthemuceftddtnecusecvtfgvtghiphhivghnthhsucdlqddutddtmdenuc fjughrpefhvfevufffkfgjfhgggfgtsehtufertddttddvnecuhfhrohhmpefvhhhomhgr shcuofhonhhjrghlohhnuceothhhohhmrghssehmohhnjhgrlhhonhdrnhgvtheqnecugg ftrfgrthhtvghrnheptdejieeifeehtdffgfdvleetueeffeehueejgfeuteeftddtieek gfekudehtdfgnecuvehluhhsthgvrhfuihiivgeptdenucfrrghrrghmpehmrghilhhfrh homhepthhhohhmrghssehmohhnjhgrlhhonhdrnhgvth X-ME-Proxy: Received: by mail.messagingengine.com (Postfix) with ESMTPA; Tue, 10 May 2022 12:20:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Thomas Monjalon To: Rahul Lakkireddy Cc: Ferruh Yigit , Andrew Rybchenko , David Marchand , Jerin Jacob Kollanukkaran , Qi Z Zhang , Hemant Agrawal , "Min Hu (Connor)" , Viacheslav Ovsiienko , olivier.matz@6wind.com, dev@dpdk.org Subject: Re: [PATCH 5/5] net/cxgbe: read firmware configuration file from filesystem Date: Tue, 10 May 2022 18:20:41 +0200 Message-ID: <3415032.V25eIC5XRa@thomas> In-Reply-To: References: <1747901.3VsfAaAtOV@thomas> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-BeenThere: dev@dpdk.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.29 Precedence: list List-Id: DPDK patches and discussions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: dev-bounces@dpdk.org 10/05/2022 17:05, Rahul Lakkireddy: > On Tuesday, May 05/10/22, 2022 at 16:30:59 +0200, Thomas Monjalon wrote: > > 10/05/2022 16:11, Rahul Lakkireddy: > > > On Tuesday, May 05/10/22, 2022 at 11:02:05 +0200, Thomas Monjalon wrote: > > > > 06/05/2022 13:36, Rahul Lakkireddy: > > > > > The Chelsio FW config file contains a list of register=value pairs to > > > > > change configuration of the NIC before firmware is initialized. > > > > > It closely resembles the INI file format. It is mainly used to aid > > > > > in debugging FW initialization failures and to optimally partition > > > > > NIC hardware resources for specific requirements. Partitioning > > > > > generally involves moving resources on unused Physical Functions > > > > > (PFs) to the main PF, like redistributing queues, hardware TCAMs, > > > > > etc., before firmware begins initialization. Once the configuration > > > > > looks good, then the final FW config file is flashed onto the NIC > > > > > using the cxgbtool. The FW config file can then be removed from the > > > > > /lib/firmware/cxgb4/ directory and the FW will begin initializing > > > > > with the flashed FW config file on the NIC from next time onwards. > > > > > > > > > > With this patch, the FW config file is selected in following order. > > > > > > > > > > 1) Check and select FW config file present in /lib/firmware/cxgb4/ > > > > > directory. > > > > > > > > > > 2) Otherwise, check and select FW config file flashed onto the > > > > > NIC. > > > > > > > > > > 3) Otherwise, select the default FW config file embedded within the > > > > > FW binary on the NIC. > > > > > > > > > > Since this is pretty low-level hardware configuration, the users are > > > > > not expected to change this file without expert guidance. So, > > > > > exporting such a low-level configuration via devargs API does not > > > > > feel like the right fit for this specific requirement. > > > > > > > > > > Once FW is up and running with the FW config file, some of the driver > > > > > and FW runtime features can be enabled/disabled via devargs API during > > > > > driver probe. > > > > > > > > > > To summarize, the FW config file is intended to debug FW initialization > > > > > failures and/or aid in resources partitioning before FW starts > > > > > initialization. Once the FW is running, the whole or smaller slices > > > > > of these partitioned resources can be further redistributed across > > > > > the multiple physical ports controlled by the same underlying PF. > > > > > > > > Sorry it is not clear to me. > > > > The FW file is used by cxgbtool to flash it, right? > > > > The PMD may use the same FW file for debug diagnostics? > > > > > > > > > There are 2 FW related files in /lib/firmware/cxgb4 directory that > > > can be written into the NIC flash (at different locations in the flash) > > > using cxgbtool: > > > > > > 1) FW config file (t6-config.txt): This file contains register=value > > > pairs to configure some HW registers before initializing FW > > > (t6fw.bin). These register=value pairs are very low level and > > > specific to HW. The FW config file can be used to enable/disable > > > some paths in HW to debug FW initialization issues. Since it > > > can disable some paths in HW, it can also be used to partition > > > and redistribute resources from other unused PFs to main PF, > > > before FW initialization. > > > > > > 2) FW binary (t6fw.bin): This contains the actual FW. This binary also > > > has an embedded "default" FW config file that will be used if no > > > FW config file (t6-config.txt) is present in NIC "flash" or in the > > > "/lib/firmware/cxgb4/" directory. > > > > > > > How is it used by the kernel? > > > > > > > > > > In kernel cxgb4 driver also, we follow the same sequence when > > > initializing FW. If any FW config file (t6-config.txt) is present > > > in "/lib/firmware/cxgb4" directory, then it is picked up first. > > > Otherwise, a FW config file that has been "flashed" onto the NIC > > > using cxgbtool, is picked up next. Otherwise, FW will init with > > > the "default" FW config file embedded inside the FW binary (t6fw.bin). > > > > > > Currently, the DPDK cxgbe PMD only picks up the FW config file from > > > NIC "flash" or the "default" one inside the FW binary. This patch adds > > > a way to pick FW config file from "lib/firmware/cxgb4" directory when > > > a FW config file is placed there. > > > > OK, so both Linux and DPDK drivers read the FW config file > > to provide better diagnostics. Am I right? > > > > Yes, both use the FW config file to enable/disable specific paths in > HW to get better diagnostics for FW init failures. OK thanks for the explanation. The idea looks OK.