From: Jiri Pirko <j...@resnulli.us> Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:32:22 +0100
> There a is need for some userspace API that would allow to expose things > that are not directly related to any device class like net_device of > ib_device, but rather chip-wide/switch-ASIC-wide stuff. > > Use cases: > 1) get/set of port type (Ethernet/InfiniBand) > 2) setting up port splitters - split port into multiple ones and squash again, > enables usage of splitter cable > 3) setting up shared buffers - shared among multiple ports within > one chip (work in progress) > 4) configuration of switch wide properties - resources division etc - This > will > allow to pass configuration that is unacceptable to be passed as > a module option. > > First patch of this set introduces a new generic Netlink based interface, > called "devlink". It is similar to nl80211 model and it is heavily > influenced by it, including the API definition. The devlink introduction patch > implements use cases 1) and 2). Other 2 are in development atm and will > be addressed by follow-ups. > > It is very convenient for drivers to use devlink, as you can see in other > patches in this set. > > Counterpart for devlink is userspace tool for now called "dl". Command line > interface and outputs are derived from "ip" tool so it should be easy > for users to get used to it. > > It is available here as a standalone tool for now: > https://github.com/jpirko/devlink > After this is merge in kernel, I will include the "dl" or "devlink" tool > into iproute2 toolset. ... Series applied, thanks Jiri.
