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author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@ppc970.osdl.org> | 2005-04-17 00:20:36 +0200 |
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committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@ppc970.osdl.org> | 2005-04-17 00:20:36 +0200 |
commit | 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 (patch) | |
tree | 0bba044c4ce775e45a88a51686b5d9f90697ea9d /Documentation/networking/x25-iface.txt | |
download | linux-1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2.tar.xz linux-1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2.zip |
Linux-2.6.12-rc2v2.6.12-rc2
Initial git repository build. I'm not bothering with the full history,
even though we have it. We can create a separate "historical" git
archive of that later if we want to, and in the meantime it's about
3.2GB when imported into git - space that would just make the early
git days unnecessarily complicated, when we don't have a lot of good
infrastructure for it.
Let it rip!
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/networking/x25-iface.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/networking/x25-iface.txt | 123 |
1 files changed, 123 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/networking/x25-iface.txt b/Documentation/networking/x25-iface.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..975cc87ebdd1 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/networking/x25-iface.txt @@ -0,0 +1,123 @@ + X.25 Device Driver Interface 1.1 + + Jonathan Naylor 26.12.96 + +This is a description of the messages to be passed between the X.25 Packet +Layer and the X.25 device driver. They are designed to allow for the easy +setting of the LAPB mode from within the Packet Layer. + +The X.25 device driver will be coded normally as per the Linux device driver +standards. Most X.25 device drivers will be moderately similar to the +already existing Ethernet device drivers. However unlike those drivers, the +X.25 device driver has a state associated with it, and this information +needs to be passed to and from the Packet Layer for proper operation. + +All messages are held in sk_buff's just like real data to be transmitted +over the LAPB link. The first byte of the skbuff indicates the meaning of +the rest of the skbuff, if any more information does exist. + + +Packet Layer to Device Driver +----------------------------- + +First Byte = 0x00 + +This indicates that the rest of the skbuff contains data to be transmitted +over the LAPB link. The LAPB link should already exist before any data is +passed down. + +First Byte = 0x01 + +Establish the LAPB link. If the link is already established then the connect +confirmation message should be returned as soon as possible. + +First Byte = 0x02 + +Terminate the LAPB link. If it is already disconnected then the disconnect +confirmation message should be returned as soon as possible. + +First Byte = 0x03 + +LAPB parameters. To be defined. + + +Device Driver to Packet Layer +----------------------------- + +First Byte = 0x00 + +This indicates that the rest of the skbuff contains data that has been +received over the LAPB link. + +First Byte = 0x01 + +LAPB link has been established. The same message is used for both a LAPB +link connect_confirmation and a connect_indication. + +First Byte = 0x02 + +LAPB link has been terminated. This same message is used for both a LAPB +link disconnect_confirmation and a disconnect_indication. + +First Byte = 0x03 + +LAPB parameters. To be defined. + + + +Possible Problems +================= + +(Henner Eisen, 2000-10-28) + +The X.25 packet layer protocol depends on a reliable datalink service. +The LAPB protocol provides such reliable service. But this reliability +is not preserved by the Linux network device driver interface: + +- With Linux 2.4.x (and above) SMP kernels, packet ordering is not + preserved. Even if a device driver calls netif_rx(skb1) and later + netif_rx(skb2), skb2 might be delivered to the network layer + earlier that skb1. +- Data passed upstream by means of netif_rx() might be dropped by the + kernel if the backlog queue is congested. + +The X.25 packet layer protocol will detect this and reset the virtual +call in question. But many upper layer protocols are not designed to +handle such N-Reset events gracefully. And frequent N-Reset events +will always degrade performance. + +Thus, driver authors should make netif_rx() as reliable as possible: + +SMP re-ordering will not occur if the driver's interrupt handler is +always executed on the same CPU. Thus, + +- Driver authors should use irq affinity for the interrupt handler. + +The probability of packet loss due to backlog congestion can be +reduced by the following measures or a combination thereof: + +(1) Drivers for kernel versions 2.4.x and above should always check the + return value of netif_rx(). If it returns NET_RX_DROP, the + driver's LAPB protocol must not confirm reception of the frame + to the peer. + This will reliably suppress packet loss. The LAPB protocol will + automatically cause the peer to re-transmit the dropped packet + later. + The lapb module interface was modified to support this. Its + data_indication() method should now transparently pass the + netif_rx() return value to the (lapb mopdule) caller. +(2) Drivers for kernel versions 2.2.x should always check the global + variable netdev_dropping when a new frame is received. The driver + should only call netif_rx() if netdev_dropping is zero. Otherwise + the driver should not confirm delivery of the frame and drop it. + Alternatively, the driver can queue the frame internally and call + netif_rx() later when netif_dropping is 0 again. In that case, delivery + confirmation should also be deferred such that the internal queue + cannot grow to much. + This will not reliably avoid packet loss, but the probability + of packet loss in netif_rx() path will be significantly reduced. +(3) Additionally, driver authors might consider to support + CONFIG_NET_HW_FLOWCONTROL. This allows the driver to be woken up + when a previously congested backlog queue becomes empty again. + The driver could uses this for flow-controlling the peer by means + of the LAPB protocol's flow-control service. |