Hi, Recently we moved from the 2.6 kernel to the 3.0 kernel. While testing the branch office vpn with the new kernel, we notice that the new 3.0.xx kernel generates the following response when ping through the branch office vpn:
ping 3.3.3.100 PING 3.3.3.100 (3.3.3.100) 56(84) bytes of data. >From 4.4.4.1 icmp_seq=1 Frag needed and DF set (mtu = 552) 64 bytes from 3.3.3.100: icmp_seq=2 ttl=62 time=6.48 ms 64 bytes from 3.3.3.100: icmp_seq=3 ttl=62 time=6.48 ms ... Please note the message "icmp_seq=1 Frag needed and DF set (mtu = 552)". It occurs for the 1st ping packet. However, such message never occurs under the 2.6.3[0-8] kernel. We spent some time trying to figure out how such message comes into being under the 3.0.xx kernel. Here is the call trace: ip_forward() in ip_forward.c --> xfrm4_route_forward() in xfrm.h --> xfrm_route_forward() in xfrm.h --> __xfrm_route_forward() in xfrm_policy.c --> xfrm_lookup() in xfrm_policy.c Within xfrm_lookup(), we reach "return make_blackhole(net, family, dst_orgi);". The make_blackhole() returns a "fake" blackhole route and the whole call trace returns back to ip_forward() in ip_forward.c: ipv4/ip_forward.c: int ip_forward(struct sk_buff *skb) { ... if (!xfrm4_route_forward(skb)) goto drop; rt = skb_rtable(skb); if (opt->is_strictroute && ip_hdr(skb)->daddr != rt->rt_gateway) goto sr_failed; if (unlikely(skb->len > dst_mtu(&rt->dst) && !skb_is_gso(skb) && (ip_hdr(skb)->frag_off & htons(IP_DF))) && !skb->local_df) { IP_INC_STATS(dev_net(rt->dst.dev), IPSTATS_MIB_FRAGFAILS); icmp_send(skb, ICMP_DEST_UNREACH, ICMP_FRAG_NEEDED, htonl(dst_mtu(&rt->dst))); goto drop; } ... } Since xfrm_lookup() returns a "fake" balckhole rout (!IS_ERR), __xfrm_route_forward() returns 1. As a result, xfrm4_route_forward() returns 1. So the packet is not dropped. Then the code falls through and hits "unlikely(skb->len > dst_mtu(&rt->dst) ...). Since it is a blackhole route (dst_mtu(&rt->dst) == 0), "skb->len > dst_mtu(&rt->dst)" is true, so the kernel calls icmp_send(skb, ICMP_DEST_UNREACH, ICMP_FRAG_NEEDED, ...) That's how mesaage "icmp_seq=1 Frag needed and DF set (mtu = 552)" is generated. In contrast, in 2.6.3[0-8] kernel, __xfrm_lookup() does not return make_blackhole(), it returns -EREMOTE instead. Since -EREMOTE is returned, xfrm_lookup() returns -EAGAIN. As a result, the packet is dropped in ip_forward() in ipv4/ip_forward.c. That's why we don't see the same message in 2.6.3[0-8]. Such code change about xfrm_policy.c first occurs in 2.6.39 kernel (from 2.6.38.8). It appears that the corresponding GIT change are the following: http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c?id=2774c131b1d19920b4587db1cfbd6f0750ad1f15 http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c?id=452edd598f60522c11f7f88fdbab27eb36509d1a Our question is, is the message "Frag needed" an expected behavior? If not, are there any suggestions about the walk around? Thanks, Xiachen -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/