Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH 1/2] ethdev: make flow API primary/secondary process safe

[Ajit Khaparde <ajit.khaparde@broadcom.com>]

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On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 12:42 AM Ferruh Yigit <ferruh.yigit@intel.com> wrote:
>
> On 4/15/2021 3:55 AM, Suanming Mou wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Ferruh Yigit <ferruh.yigit@intel.com>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 9:07 PM
> >> To: Suanming Mou <suanmingm@nvidia.com>; Ori Kam <orika@nvidia.com>;
> >> Andrew Rybchenko <andrew.rybchenko@oktetlabs.ru>; NBU-Contact-Thomas
> >> Monjalon <thomas@monjalon.net>
> >> Cc: dev@dpdk.org; Stephen Hemminger <stephen@networkplumber.org>
> >> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH 1/2] ethdev: make flow API primary/secondary
> >> process safe
> >>
> >> On 3/16/2021 11:48 PM, Suanming Mou wrote:
> >>> Hi Stephen,
> >>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: Stephen Hemminger <stephen@networkplumber.org>
> >>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 3:27 AM
> >>>> To: dev@dpdk.org
> >>>> Cc: Stephen Hemminger <stephen@networkplumber.org>; Suanming Mou
> >>>> <suanmingm@nvidia.com>
> >>>> Subject: [PATCH 1/2] ethdev: make flow API primary/secondary process
> >>>> safe
> >>>>
> >>>> Posix mutex are not by default safe for protecting for usage from
> >>>> multiple processes. The flow ops mutex could be used by both primary
> >>>> and secondary processes.
> >>>
> >>> Process safe is something more widely scope. I assume it should be another
> >> feature but not a bugfix for thread-safe?
> >>> And the fag RTE_ETH_DEV_FLOW_OPS_THREAD_SAFE we have added is just
> >> thread safe.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Hi Suanming,
> >>
> >> I think 'RTE_ETH_DEV_FLOW_OPS_THREAD_SAFE' flag and what this patch
> >> address are different issues.
> >>
> >> 'RTE_ETH_DEV_FLOW_OPS_THREAD_SAFE' is to add/remove synchronization
> >> support for flow APIs, that is for thread safety as flag name suggests.
> >>
> >> This patch is to solve the problem for multi process, where commit log describes
> >> as posix mutex is not safe for multiple process.
> >
> > So for PMDs which not set the RTE_ETH_DEV_FLOW_OPS_THREAD_SAFE capability bit, they will have the process level protection in multi-process.
> > For PMDs which set the RTE_ETH_DEV_FLOW_OPS_THREAD_SAFE capability bit, this change does not help with these PMDs. If the PMD with RTE_ETH_DEV_FLOW_OPS_THREAD_SAFE capability bit  internally does not support multi-process, they may still suffer crash etc.
>
> Correct
>
> > (If I understand correctly, mlx PMD level now should support multi-process, but better to have the confirmation from maintainers with much deeper level).
> > I assume this patch solves the posix mutex for multi-process only, hard to say the flow API primary/secondary process safe after that patch.
> >
>
> I am also not quite sure how PMDs that doesn't require mutex at all, (mlx5,
> bnxt, sfc) behave on multi process. Is calling flow APIs from both
> primary/secondary safe?
We have some level of tests on this and so far current code looks safe.
But we will try to increase the coverage and see how it goes.


>