Acked-by: Eli Britstein <elibr.nvidia.com>
>-----Original Message----- >From: Eli Britstein >Sent: Tuesday, 6 January 2026 7:43 >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [ovs-dev] [PATCH v4 00/40] Architectural refactoring of hardware >offload infrastructure. > >LGTM. > >On 05/01/2026 17:13, Eelco Chaudron wrote: >> This RFC patch series introduces a major architectural refactoring of >> Open vSwitch's hardware offload infrastructure. It replaces the >> tightly coupled `netdev-offload` implementation with a new, modular >> `dpif-offload-provider` framework. >> >> MOTIVATION >> ------------------------------------------------------------- >> The existing `netdev-offload` API tightly couples datapath >> implementations (like `dpif-netdev`) with specific offload >> technologies (DPDK's rte_flow). This design has several >> limitations: >> >> - Rigid Architecture: It creates complex dependencies, >> making the code difficult to maintain and extend. >> >> - Limited Flexibility: Supporting multiple offload backends >> simultaneously or adding new ones is cumbersome. >> >> - Inconsistent APIs: The logic for handling different >> offload types is scattered, leading to an inconsistent >> and hard-to-follow API surface. >> >> This refactoring aims to resolve these issues by creating a clean >> separation of concerns, improving modularity, and establishing a clear >> path for future hardware offload integrations. >> >> PROPOSED SOLUTION: THE `DPIF-OFFLOAD-PROVIDER` FRAMEWORK >> ------------------------------------------------------------- >> This series introduces the `dpif-offload-provider` framework, which >> functions similarly to the existing `dpif-provider` pattern. It treats >> hardware offload as a distinct layer with multiple, dynamically >> selectable backends. >> >> Key features of the new framework include: >> >> 1. Modular Architecture: A clean separation between the >> generic datapath interface and specific offload >> provider implementations (e.g., `dpif-offload-tc`, >> `dpif-offload-dpdk`). `dpif` layers are now generic >> clients of the offload API. >> >> 2. Provider-based System: Allows multiple offload backends >> to coexist. >> >> 3. Unified and Asynchronous API: Establishes a consistent >> API across all offload providers. For userspace >> datapaths, the API is extended to support asynchronous >> flow operations with callbacks, making `dpif-netdev` a >> more efficient client. >> >> 4. Enhanced Configuration: Provides granular control over >> offload provider selection through a global and per-port >> priority system (`hw-offload-priority`), allowing >> fine-tuned policies for different hardware. >> >> 5. Improved Testing: Includes a new test framework >> specifically for validating DPDKs rte_flow offloads, >> enhancing long-term maintainability. >> >> PATCH SERIES ORGANIZATION >> ------------------------------------------------------------- >> This large series is organized logically to facilitate >> review: >> >> 1. Framework Foundation: The initial patches establish the >> core `dpif-offload-provider` framework, including the >> necessary APIs for port management, flow mark >> allocation, configuration, and a dummy provider for >> testing. >> >> 2. Provider Implementation: These patches introduce the new >> `dpif-offload-tc` and `dpif-offload-dpdk` providers, >> building out their specific implementations on top of >> the new framework. >> >> 3. API Migration and Decoupling: The bulk of the series >> systematically migrates functionality from the legacy >> `netdev-offload` layer to the new providers. Key >> commits here decouple `dpif-netdev` and, crucially, >> `dpif-netlink` from their hardware offload >> entanglements. >> >> 4. Cleanup: The final patches remove the now-redundant >> global APIs and structures from `netdev-offload`, >> completing the transition. >> >> BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY >> ------------------------------------------------------------- >> This refactoring maintains full API compatibility from a user's >> perspective. All existing `ovs-vsctl` and `ovs-appctl` commands >> continue to function as before. The changes are primarily internal >> architectural improvements designed to make OVS more robust and >> extensible. >> >> REQUEST FOR COMMENTS >> ------------------------------------------------------------- >> This is a significant architectural change that affects core OVS >> infrastructure. We welcome feedback on: >> >> - The overall architectural approach and the >> `dpif-offload-provider` concept. >> - The API design, particularly the new asynchronous model >> for `dpif-netdev`. >> - The migration strategy and any potential backward >> compatibility concerns. >> - Performance implications of the new framework. >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------- >> Changes from v1: >> - Fixed issues reported by Aaron and my AI experiments. >> - See individual patches for specific changes. >> >> Changes from v2: >> - See individual patches for specific changes. >> >> Changes from v3: >> - In patch 7, removed leftover netdev_close(port->netdev) >> causing netdev reference count issues. >> - Changed naming for dpif_offload_impl_type enum entries. >> - Merged previous patch 36, 'dpif-netdev: Add full name >> to the dp_netdev structure', with the next patch. >> >> Eelco Chaudron (40): >> dpif-offload-provider: Add dpif-offload-provider implementation. >> dpif-offload: Add provider for tc offload. >> dpif-offload: Add provider for dpdk (rte_flow). >> dpif-offload: Allow configuration of offload provider priority. >> dpif-offload: Move hw-offload configuration to dpif-offload. >> dpif-offload: Add offload provider set_config API. >> dpif-offload: Add port registration and management APIs. >> dpif-offload-tc: Add port management framework. >> dpif-offload-dpdk: Add port management framework. >> dpif-offload: Validate mandatory port class callbacks on registration. >> dpif-offload: Allow per-port offload provider priority config. >> dpif-offload: Introduce provider debug information API. >> dpif-offload: Call flow-flush netdev-offload APIs via dpif-offload. >> dpif-offload: Call meter netdev-offload APIs via dpif-offload. >> dpif-offload: Move the flow_get_n_flows() netdev-offload API to dpif. >> dpif-offload: Move hw_post_process netdev API to dpif. >> dpif-offload: Add flow dump APIs to dpif-offload. >> dpif-offload: Move the tc flow dump netdev APIs to dpif-offload. >> dpif-netlink: Remove netlink-offload integration. >> dpif-netlink: Add API to get offloaded netdev from port_id. >> dpif-offload: Add API to find offload implementation type. >> dpif-offload: Add operate implementation to dpif-offload. >> netdev-offload: Temporarily move thread-related APIs to dpif-netdev. >> dpif-offload: Add port dump APIs to dpif-offload. >> dpif-netdev: Remove indirect DPDK netdev offload API calls. >> dpif: Add dpif_get_features() API. >> dpif-offload: Add flow operations to dpif-offload-tc. >> dpif-netlink: Remove entangled hardware offload. >> dpif-offload-tc: Remove netdev-offload dependency. >> netdev_dummy: Remove hardware offload override. >> dpif-offload: Move the netdev_any_oor() API to dpif-offload. >> netdev-offload: Remove the global netdev-offload API. >> dpif-offload: Add inline flow APIs for userspace datapaths. >> dpif_netdev: Fix nullable memcpy in queue_netdev_flow_put(). >> dpif-offload: Move offload_stats_get() API to dpif-offload. >> dpif-offload-dpdk: Abstract rte_flow implementation from dpif-netdev. >> dpif-offload-dummy: Add flow add/del/get APIs. >> netdev-offload: Fold netdev-offload APIs and files into dpif-offload. >> tests: Fix NSH decap header test for real Ethernet devices. >> tests: Add a simple DPDK rte_flow test framework. >> >> Documentation/topics/testing.rst | 19 + >> include/openvswitch/json.h | 1 + >> include/openvswitch/netdev.h | 1 + >> lib/automake.mk | 17 +- >> lib/dp-packet.h | 1 + >> lib/dpctl.c | 50 +- >> lib/dpdk.c | 2 - >> lib/dpif-netdev-avx512.c | 4 +- >> lib/dpif-netdev-private-flow.h | 9 +- >> lib/dpif-netdev.c | 1244 +++--------- >> lib/dpif-netlink.c | 557 +---- >> ...load-dpdk.c => dpif-offload-dpdk-netdev.c} | 592 ++++-- >> lib/dpif-offload-dpdk-private.h | 73 + >> lib/dpif-offload-dpdk.c | 1186 +++++++++++ >> lib/dpif-offload-dummy.c | 920 +++++++++ >> lib/dpif-offload-provider.h | 421 ++++ >> ...-offload-tc.c => dpif-offload-tc-netdev.c} | 238 ++- >> lib/dpif-offload-tc-private.h | 76 + >> lib/dpif-offload-tc.c | 877 ++++++++ >> lib/dpif-offload.c | 1790 +++++++++++++++++ >> lib/dpif-offload.h | 221 ++ >> lib/dpif-provider.h | 65 +- >> lib/dpif.c | 166 +- >> lib/dpif.h | 14 +- >> lib/dummy.h | 9 + >> lib/json.c | 7 + >> lib/netdev-dpdk.c | 9 +- >> lib/netdev-dpdk.h | 2 +- >> lib/netdev-dummy.c | 199 +- >> lib/netdev-linux.c | 3 +- >> lib/netdev-offload-provider.h | 148 -- >> lib/netdev-offload.c | 910 --------- >> lib/netdev-offload.h | 169 -- >> lib/netdev-provider.h | 10 +- >> lib/netdev.c | 71 +- >> lib/netdev.h | 22 + >> lib/tc.c | 2 +- >> ofproto/ofproto-dpif-upcall.c | 50 +- >> ofproto/ofproto-dpif.c | 90 +- >> tests/.gitignore | 3 + >> tests/automake.mk | 24 + >> tests/dpif-netdev.at | 40 +- >> tests/ofproto-dpif.at | 170 ++ >> tests/ofproto-macros.at | 17 +- >> tests/sendpkt.py | 12 +- >> tests/system-dpdk-offloads-macros.at | 236 +++ >> tests/system-dpdk-offloads-testsuite.at | 28 + >> tests/system-dpdk-offloads.at | 223 ++ >> tests/system-dpdk.at | 35 + >> tests/system-kmod-macros.at | 5 + >> tests/system-offloads-testsuite-macros.at | 5 + >> tests/system-offloads-traffic.at | 48 + >> tests/system-traffic.at | 9 +- >> tests/system-userspace-macros.at | 5 + >> vswitchd/bridge.c | 7 +- >> vswitchd/vswitch.xml | 43 + >> 56 files changed, 7808 insertions(+), 3347 deletions(-) >> rename lib/{netdev-offload-dpdk.c => dpif-offload-dpdk-netdev.c} (83%) >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload-dpdk-private.h >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload-dpdk.c >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload-dummy.c >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload-provider.h >> rename lib/{netdev-offload-tc.c => dpif-offload-tc-netdev.c} (95%) >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload-tc-private.h >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload-tc.c >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload.c >> create mode 100644 lib/dpif-offload.h >> delete mode 100644 lib/netdev-offload-provider.h >> delete mode 100644 lib/netdev-offload.c >> delete mode 100644 lib/netdev-offload.h >> create mode 100644 tests/system-dpdk-offloads-macros.at >> create mode 100644 tests/system-dpdk-offloads-testsuite.at >> create mode 100644 tests/system-dpdk-offloads.at _______________________________________________ dev mailing list [email protected] https://mail.openvswitch.org/mailman/listinfo/ovs-dev
