RE: [Xen-devel] Xen support for PCI-SIG I/O Virtualization

["Masroor Vettuparambil" <Masroor.Vettuparambil@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hi Greg, 

thanks for the comment.
I have yet to go through ur work. Please provide a quick link.

I would like to know whether your proprietary mechanism supports virtual
functions just like in IOV.
If so, can you brief me on how this is accessed from the host and
assigned to guest domains? 
Infact I am more interested how this is happening in IOV method.


regards
Masroor  

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Law [mailto:glaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 4:59 PM
To: Woller, Thomas
Cc: Masroor Vettuparambil; xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Xen-devel] Xen support for PCI-SIG I/O Virtualization

Woller, Thomas wrote:
>> Let me know if you want to know more.
> Curious if your patches have any multi-root logic.. Or if only SR.

Actually, our patches do nothing with IOV (SR or MR).  They are a
framework which allows one to write plugin drivers for netfront/netback
for accelerated network tx/rx.  The framework does not mandate how this
is implemented.  We expect it to be used by smart devices which can be
accessed directly from the guest, but even that is not strictly
necessary to use the framework.  If the NIC does allow safe access
directly from the guest, it might be that the silicon uses PCI IOV, or
some other mechanism (e.g. our smart NIC uses a proprietary mechanism
which pre-dates IOV).

> 
> Do you have specific smart NICs that you recommend that work with your

> patches/Xen?

Yes, ours :)

You can currently buy them as "SMC Tigertron" cards.  Our plugin drivers
will be submitted to this list soon.


Cheers,

Greg

-- 
Greg Law         Solarflare Communications            +44 1223 518 040

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