[Xen-devel] [PATCH 3/4] public/io/netif.h: add documentation for hash negotiation and mapping

[Paul Durrant <paul.durrant@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This patch specifies the xenstore keys that should be used by frontends
and backends to negotiate a particular hash algorithm and queue mapping
to be used for mult-queue packet steering on the guest receive side.

Signed-off-by: Paul Durrant <paul.durrant@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
 xen/include/public/io/netif.h | 111 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 106 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/xen/include/public/io/netif.h b/xen/include/public/io/netif.h
index 57eb903..d7c978e 100644
--- a/xen/include/public/io/netif.h
+++ b/xen/include/public/io/netif.h
@@ -114,11 +114,112 @@
  * error. This includes scenarios where more (or fewer) queues were
  * requested than the frontend provided details for.
  *
- * Mapping of packets to queues is considered to be a function of the
- * transmitting system (backend or frontend) and is not negotiated
- * between the two. Guests are free to transmit packets on any queue
- * they choose, provided it has been set up correctly. Guests must be
- * prepared to receive packets on any queue they have requested be set up.
+ * Unless a hash algorithm or mapping of packet hash to queues has been
+ * negotiated (see below), queue selection is considered to be a function of
+ * the transmitting system (backend or frontend) and either end is free to
+ * transmit packets on any queue, provided it has been set up correctly.
+ * Guests must therefore be prepared to receive packets on any queue they
+ * have requested be set up.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Hash negotiation (only applicable if using multiple queues):
+ *
+ * A backend can advertise a set of hash algorithms that it can perform by
+ * naming it in a space separated list in the "multi-queue-hash-list"
+ * xenstore key. For example, if the backend supports the 'foo' and 'bar'
+ * algorithms it would set:
+ *
+ * /local/domain/X/backend/vif/Y/Z/multi-queue-hash-list = "foo bar"
+ *
+ * Additionally, in supporting a particular algorithm, it may be necessary
+ * for the backend to specify the capabilites of its implementation of
+ * that algorithm, e.g. what sections of packet header it can hash.
+ * To do that it can set algorithm-specific keys under a parent capabilities
+ * key. For example, if the 'bar' algorithm implementation in the backend
+ * is capable of hashing over an IP version 4 header and a TCP header, the
+ * backend might set:
+ *
+ * /local/domain/X/backend/vif/Y/Z/multi-queue-hash-caps-bar/types = "ipv4+tcp"
+ *
+ * The backend should set all such keys before it moves into the initwait
+ * state.
+ *
+ * The frontend can select a hash algorithm at any time after it moves into
+ * the connected state by setting the "multi-queue-hash" key. The backend
+ * must therefore watch this key and be prepared to change hash algorithms
+ * at any time whilst in the connected state. So, for example, if the
+ * frontend wants 'foo' hashing, it should set:
+ *
+ * /local/domain/Y/device/vif/Z/multi-queue-hash = "foo"
+ *
+ * Additionally it may set parameters for that algorithm by setting
+ * algorithm-specific keys under a parent parameters key. For example, if
+ * the 'foo' algorithm implementation in the backend is capable of hashing
+ * over an IP version 4 header, a TCP header or both but the frontend only
+ * wants it to hash over only the IP version 4 header then it might set:
+ *
+ * /local/domain/Y/device/vif/Z/multi-queue-hash-params-foo/types = "ipv4"
+ *
+ * The backend must also watch the parameters key as the frontend may
+ * change the parameters at any time whilst in the connected state.
+ *
+ * (Capabilites and parameters documentation for specific algorithms is
+ * below).
+ *
+ * TOEPLITZ:
+ *
+ * If the backend supports Toeplitz hashing then it should include
+ * the algorithm name 'toeplitz' in its "multi-queue-hash-list" key.
+ * It should also advertise the following capabilities:
+ *
+ * types: a space separated list containing any or all of 'ipv4', 'tcpv4',
+ *        'ipv6', 'tcpv6', indicating over which headers the hash algorithm
+ *        is capable of being performed.
+ *
+ * max-key-length: an integer value indicating the maximum key length (in
+ *                 octets) that the frontend may supply.
+ *
+ * Upon selecting this algorithm, the frontend may supply the following
+ * parameters.
+ *
+ * types: a space separated list containing none, any or all of the type
+ *        names included in the types list in the capabilites.
+ *        When the backend encounters a packet type not in this list it
+ *        will assign a hash value of 0.
+ *
+ * key: a ':' separated list of octets (up to the maximum length specified
+ *      in the capabilities) expressed in hexadecimal indicating the key
+ *      that should be used in the hash calculation.
+ *
+ * For more information on Toeplitz hash calculation see:
+ *
+ * https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff570725.aspx
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Hash mapping (only applicable if using multiple queues):
+ *
+ * If the backend is not capable, or no mapping is specified by the frontend
+ * then it is assumed that the hash -> queue mapping is done by simple
+ * modular arithmetic.
+ *
+ * To advertise that it is capable of accepting a specific mapping from the
+ * frontend the backend should set the "multi-queue-max-hash-mapping-length"
+ * key to a non-zero value. The frontend may then specify a mapping (up to
+ * the maximum specified length) as a ',' separated list of decimal queue
+ * numbers in the "multi-queue-hash-mapping" key.
+ *
+ * The backend should parse this list into an array and perform the mapping
+ * as follows:
+ *
+ * queue = mapping[hash % length-of-list]
+ *
+ * If any of the queue values specified in the list is not connected then
+ * the backend is free to choose a connected queue arbitrarily.
+ *
+ * The backend must be prepared to handle updates the mapping list at any
+ * time whilst in the connected state.
  */
 
 /*
-- 
2.1.4


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