RE: [PATCH v6] ethdev: add indirect list flow action

[Ori Kam <orika@nvidia.com>]

Hi gregory,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gregory Etelson <getelson@nvidia.com>
> Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2023 6:44 PM
> 
> Indirect API creates a shared flow action with unique action handle.
> Flow rules can access the shared flow action and resources related to
> that action through the indirect action handle.
> In addition, the API allows to update existing shared flow action
> configuration.  After the update completes, new action configuration
> is available to all flows that reference that shared action.
> 
> Indirect actions list expands the indirect action API:
> • Indirect action list creates a handle for one or several
>   flow actions, while legacy indirect action handle references
>   single action only.
>   Input flow actions arranged in END terminated list.
> • Flow rule can provide rule specific configuration parameters to
>   existing shared handle.
>   Updates of flow rule specific configuration will not change the base
>   action configuration.
>   Base action configuration was set during the action creation.
> 
> Indirect action list handle defines 2 types of resources:
> • Mutable handle resource can be changed during handle lifespan.
> • Immutable handle resource value is set during handle creation
>   and cannot be changed.
> 
> There are 2 types of mutable indirect handle contexts:
> • Action mutable context is always shared between all flows
>   that referenced indirect actions list handle.
>   Action mutable context can be changed by explicit invocation
>   of indirect handle update function.
> • Flow mutable context is private to a flow.
>   Flow mutable context can be updated by indirect list handle
>   flow rule configuration.
> 
> flow 1:
>  / indirect handle H conf C1 /
>                    |       |
>                    |       |
>                    |       |         flow 2:
>                    |       |         / indirect handle H conf C2 /
>                    |       |                           |      |
>                    |       |                           |      |
>                    |       |                           |      |
>             =========================================================
>             ^      |       |                           |      |
>             |      |       V                           |      V
>             |    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>             |     flow mutable                        flow mutable
>             |     context 1                           context 2
>             |    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>   indirect  |      |                                   |
>   action    |      |                                   |
>   context   |      V                                   V
>             |   -----------------------------------------------------
>             |                 action mutable context
>             |   -----------------------------------------------------
>             v                action immutable context
>             =========================================================
> 
> Indirect action types - immutable, action / flow mutable, are mutually
> exclusive and depend on the action definition.
> For example:
> • Indirect METER_MARK policy is immutable action member and profile is
>   action mutable action member.
> • Indirect METER_MARK flow action defines init_color as flow mutable
>   member.
> • Indirect QUOTA flow action does not define flow mutable members.
> 
> If indirect list handle was created from a list of actions
> A1 / A2 ... An / END
> indirect list flow action can update Ai flow mutable context in the
> action configuration parameter.
> Indirect list action configuration is and array [C1, C2,  .., Cn]
> where Ci corresponds to Ai in the action handle source.
> Ci configuration element points Ai flow mutable update, or it's NULL
> if Ai has no flow mutable update.
> Indirect list action configuration can be NULL if the action
> has no flow mutable updates.
> 
> Template API:
> 
> Action template format:
> 
> 	template .. indirect_list handle Htmpl conf Ctmpl ..
> 	mask     .. indirect_list handle Hmask conf Cmask ..
> 
> 1 If Htmpl was masked (Hmask != 0), it will be fixed in that template.
>   Otherwise, indirect action value is set in a flow rule.
> 
> 2 If Htmpl and Ctmpl[i] were masked (Hmask !=0 and Cmask[i] != 0),
>   Htmpl's Ai action flow mutable context fill be updated to
>   Ctmpl[i] values and will be fixed in that template.
> 
> Flow rule format:
> 
> 	actions .. indirect_list handle Hflow conf Cflow ..
> 
> 3 If Htmpl was not masked in actions template, Hflow references an
>   action of the same type as Htmpl.
> 
> 4 Cflow[i] updates handle's Ai flow mutable configuration if
>   the Ci was not masked in action template.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Gregory Etelson <getelson@nvidia.com>
> ---

Acked-by: Ori Kam <orika@nvidia.com>
Best,
Ori