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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/networking/driver.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/networking/driver.txt | 93 |
1 files changed, 93 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/networking/driver.txt b/Documentation/networking/driver.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000..da59e288 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/networking/driver.txt @@ -0,0 +1,93 @@ +Document about softnet driver issues + +Transmit path guidelines: + +1) The ndo_start_xmit method must not return NETDEV_TX_BUSY under + any normal circumstances. It is considered a hard error unless + there is no way your device can tell ahead of time when it's + transmit function will become busy. + + Instead it must maintain the queue properly. For example, + for a driver implementing scatter-gather this means: + + static netdev_tx_t drv_hard_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, + struct net_device *dev) + { + struct drv *dp = netdev_priv(dev); + + lock_tx(dp); + ... + /* This is a hard error log it. */ + if (TX_BUFFS_AVAIL(dp) <= (skb_shinfo(skb)->nr_frags + 1)) { + netif_stop_queue(dev); + unlock_tx(dp); + printk(KERN_ERR PFX "%s: BUG! Tx Ring full when queue awake!\n", + dev->name); + return NETDEV_TX_BUSY; + } + + ... queue packet to card ... + ... update tx consumer index ... + + if (TX_BUFFS_AVAIL(dp) <= (MAX_SKB_FRAGS + 1)) + netif_stop_queue(dev); + + ... + unlock_tx(dp); + ... + return NETDEV_TX_OK; + } + + And then at the end of your TX reclamation event handling: + + if (netif_queue_stopped(dp->dev) && + TX_BUFFS_AVAIL(dp) > (MAX_SKB_FRAGS + 1)) + netif_wake_queue(dp->dev); + + For a non-scatter-gather supporting card, the three tests simply become: + + /* This is a hard error log it. */ + if (TX_BUFFS_AVAIL(dp) <= 0) + + and: + + if (TX_BUFFS_AVAIL(dp) == 0) + + and: + + if (netif_queue_stopped(dp->dev) && + TX_BUFFS_AVAIL(dp) > 0) + netif_wake_queue(dp->dev); + +2) An ndo_start_xmit method must not modify the shared parts of a + cloned SKB. + +3) Do not forget that once you return NETDEV_TX_OK from your + ndo_start_xmit method, it is your driver's responsibility to free + up the SKB and in some finite amount of time. + + For example, this means that it is not allowed for your TX + mitigation scheme to let TX packets "hang out" in the TX + ring unreclaimed forever if no new TX packets are sent. + This error can deadlock sockets waiting for send buffer room + to be freed up. + + If you return NETDEV_TX_BUSY from the ndo_start_xmit method, you + must not keep any reference to that SKB and you must not attempt + to free it up. + +Probing guidelines: + +1) Any hardware layer address you obtain for your device should + be verified. For example, for ethernet check it with + linux/etherdevice.h:is_valid_ether_addr() + +Close/stop guidelines: + +1) After the ndo_stop routine has been called, the hardware must + not receive or transmit any data. All in flight packets must + be aborted. If necessary, poll or wait for completion of + any reset commands. + +2) The ndo_stop routine will be called by unregister_netdevice + if device is still UP. |