Hi Peter,
Pktgen can send the packets but they have to be configured correctly. DPDK has a couple of applications two are L2fwd and L3fwd. These two applications can forward L2 or L3 packets from one port to another. These applications will not answer an ARP request
or PING packet, so you have to configure the applications correctly with the correct routing information have a look at the L3fwd application code and docs. If you are using a standard OS and not Pktgen or some type of traffic generator you must configure
the sender machine system correctly.
In the L3fwd application you tell the application which IP address belongs to which port, think of the L3fwd application as a L3 router that you have to configure the route by hand correctly. Then on the sender machine you have to hardcode the ARP addresses
in the arp cache to force the local OS not try a ARP request. Find out the MAC address of the two server ports and then do a 'arp' command on your sender machines that defines the correct IP address and MAC address of port. It is not too hard, but you do need
to get the sender and L3fwd configured correctly. I have not given all of the details, but the DPDK docs should be able to help and understanding how a L3 router works is a big plus.
Note one area I find most do not understand is the packet leaving the sender machine must have the MAC address of the server port and the IP address of the machine you are trying to send the packet, then the L3fwd configuration needs to know the correct
routes to the port with that subnet or IP address.
You should be able to find more detailed docs in the DPDK system. I hope you are able to get things working.
Thank you, ++Keith
-------------------------------
Keith Wiles
Principal Technologist for Networking
cell 972-213-5533
Wind River Systems
wrote:
Thanks for the reply, I understand that without the network stack, ping won't work. I am curious as to how I would even get a packet sent over since the port that DPDK has would not have an IP address nor will it be able to do ARP to get one.
So how do I even send a packet over (e.g. ping would need some IP address to ping in the first place regardless of if there is a network stack on the other side to process a reply).
would PktGen be able to send packets over without an IP address?