doc: update mlx4 documentation

This updates mlx4 documentation and DPDK release notes
to reflect the PMD support for rdma-core from linux-rdma.

- PMD is now freed from Mellanox OFED and now only depends on the
  public rdma-core package (v15 and above) instead.
  (see https://github.com/linux-rdma/rdma-core/releases)
  This PMD should run under Linux v4.14 and above.
- In case any of the above requirements can't be satisfied,
  Mellanox OFED v4.2 and above also provide an updated rdma-core
  as well back-ported kernel modules for most Linux distributions
  and previous Linux versions.
  (see http://www.mellanox.com/page/products_dyn?product_family=26).

Signed-off-by: Moti Haimovsky <motih@mellanox.com>
Acked-by: Adrien Mazarguil <adrien.mazarguil@6wind.com>

diff --git a/doc/guides/nics/mlx4.rst b/doc/guides/nics/mlx4.rst
index 7c43177..22341b9 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/guides/nics/mlx4.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/nics/mlx4.rst
@@ -74,13 +74,6 @@ long as they share the same MAC address.
 
 Compiling librte_pmd_mlx4 causes DPDK to be linked against libibverbs.
 
 
 Compiling librte_pmd_mlx4 causes DPDK to be linked against libibverbs.
 

-Features
---------
-
-- Multi arch support: x86_64 and POWER8.
-- Link state information is provided.
-- RX interrupts.
-

 Configuration
 -------------
 
 Configuration
 -------------
 


@@ -160,7 +153,7 @@ This driver relies on external libraries and kernel drivers for resources
 allocations and initialization. The following dependencies are not part of
 DPDK and must be installed separately:
 
 allocations and initialization. The following dependencies are not part of
 DPDK and must be installed separately:
 

-- **libibverbs**
+- **libibverbs** (provided by rdma-core package)

 
   User space verbs framework used by librte_pmd_mlx4. This library provides
   a generic interface between the kernel and low-level user space drivers
 
   User space verbs framework used by librte_pmd_mlx4. This library provides
   a generic interface between the kernel and low-level user space drivers


@@ -170,7 +163,7 @@ DPDK and must be installed separately:
   resources allocations) to be managed by the kernel and fast operations to
   never leave user space.
 
   resources allocations) to be managed by the kernel and fast operations to
   never leave user space.
 

-- **libmlx4**
+- **libmlx4** (provided by rdma-core package)

 
   Low-level user space driver library for Mellanox ConnectX-3 devices,
   it is automatically loaded by libibverbs.
 
   Low-level user space driver library for Mellanox ConnectX-3 devices,
   it is automatically loaded by libibverbs.


@@ -178,7 +171,7 @@ DPDK and must be installed separately:
   This library basically implements send/receive calls to the hardware
   queues.
 
   This library basically implements send/receive calls to the hardware
   queues.
 

-- **Kernel modules** (mlnx-ofed-kernel)
+- **Kernel modules**

 
   They provide the kernel-side verbs API and low level device drivers that
   manage actual hardware initialization and resources sharing with user
 
   They provide the kernel-side verbs API and low level device drivers that
   manage actual hardware initialization and resources sharing with user


@@ -204,24 +197,27 @@ DPDK and must be installed separately:
    Both libraries are BSD and GPL licensed. Linux kernel modules are GPL
    licensed.
 
    Both libraries are BSD and GPL licensed. Linux kernel modules are GPL
    licensed.
 

-Currently supported by DPDK:
+Depending on system constraints and user preferences either RDMA core library
+with a recent enough Linux kernel release (recommended) or Mellanox OFED,
+which provides compatibility with older releases.
+
+Current RDMA core package and Linux kernel (recommended)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+- Minimal Linux kernel version: 4.14.
+- Minimal RDMA core version: v15 (see `RDMA core installation documentation`_).

 
 

-- Mellanox OFED **4.1**.
-- Firmware version **2.36.5000** and above.
+.. _`RDMA core installation documentation`: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/linux-rdma/rdma-core/master/README.md

 
 

-Getting Mellanox OFED
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+.. _Mellanox_OFED_as_a_fallback:

 
 

-While these libraries and kernel modules are available on OpenFabrics
-Alliance's `website <https://www.openfabrics.org/>`_ and provided by package
-managers on most distributions, this PMD requires Ethernet extensions that
-may not be supported at the moment (this is a work in progress).
+Mellanox OFED as a fallback
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
 

-`Mellanox OFED
-<http://www.mellanox.com/page/products_dyn?product_family=26&mtag=linux_sw_drivers>`_
-includes the necessary support and should be used in the meantime. For DPDK,
-only libibverbs, libmlx4, mlnx-ofed-kernel packages and firmware updates are
-required from that distribution.
+- `Mellanox OFED`_ version: **4.2**.
+- firmware version: **2.42.5000** and above.
+
+.. _`Mellanox OFED`: http://www.mellanox.com/page/products_dyn?product_family=26&mtag=linux_sw_drivers

 
 .. note::
 
 
 .. note::
 


@@ -229,15 +225,10 @@ required from that distribution.
    this DPDK release was developed and tested against is strongly
    recommended. Please check the `prerequisites`_.
 
    this DPDK release was developed and tested against is strongly
    recommended. Please check the `prerequisites`_.
 

-Supported NICs
---------------
+Installing Mellanox OFED
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 
 

-* Mellanox(R) ConnectX(R)-3 Pro 40G MCX354A-FCC_Ax (2*40G)
-
-Quick Start Guide
------------------
-
-1. Download latest Mellanox OFED. For more info check the  `prerequisites`_.
+1. Download latest Mellanox OFED.

 
 2. Install the required libraries and kernel modules either by installing
    only the required set, or by installing the entire Mellanox OFED:
 
 2. Install the required libraries and kernel modules either by installing
    only the required set, or by installing the entire Mellanox OFED:


@@ -246,19 +237,19 @@ Quick Start Guide
 
    .. code-block:: console
 
 
    .. code-block:: console
 

-        ./mlnxofedinstall
+        ./mlnxofedinstall --dpdk --upstream-libs

 
    For SR-IOV hypervisors use:
 
    .. code-block:: console
 
 
    For SR-IOV hypervisors use:
 
    .. code-block:: console
 

-        ./mlnxofedinstall --enable-sriov -hypervisor
+        ./mlnxofedinstall --dpdk --upstream-libs --enable-sriov --hypervisor

 
    For SR-IOV virtual machine use:
 
    .. code-block:: console
 
 
    For SR-IOV virtual machine use:
 
    .. code-block:: console
 

-        ./mlnxofedinstall --guest
+        ./mlnxofedinstall --dpdk --upstream-libs --guest

 
 3. Verify the firmware is the correct one:
 
 
 3. Verify the firmware is the correct one:
 


@@ -272,7 +263,19 @@ Quick Start Guide
 
         connectx_port_config
 
 
         connectx_port_config
 

-   Or in the manual way:
+5. Continue with :ref:`section 2 of the Quick Start Guide <QSG_2>`.
+
+Supported NICs
+--------------
+
+* Mellanox(R) ConnectX(R)-3 Pro 40G MCX354A-FCC_Ax (2*40G)
+
+.. _qsg:
+
+Quick Start Guide
+-----------------
+
+1. Set all ports links to Ethernet

 
    .. code-block:: console
 
 
    .. code-block:: console
 


@@ -280,7 +283,15 @@ Quick Start Guide
         echo eth > "/sys/bus/pci/devices/$PCI/mlx4_port0"
         echo eth > "/sys/bus/pci/devices/$PCI/mlx4_port1"
 
         echo eth > "/sys/bus/pci/devices/$PCI/mlx4_port0"
         echo eth > "/sys/bus/pci/devices/$PCI/mlx4_port1"
 

-5. In case of bare metal or hypervisor, configure optimized steering mode
+   .. note::
+
+        If using Mellanox OFED one can permanently set the port link
+        to Ethernet using connectx_port_config tool provided by it.
+        :ref:`Mellanox_OFED_as_a_fallback`:
+
+.. _QSG_2:
+
+2. In case of bare metal or hypervisor, configure optimized steering mode

    by adding the following line to ``/etc/modprobe.d/mlx4_core.conf``:
 
    .. code-block:: console
    by adding the following line to ``/etc/modprobe.d/mlx4_core.conf``:
 
    .. code-block:: console


@@ -292,7 +303,7 @@ Quick Start Guide
         If VLAN filtering is used, set log_num_mgm_entry_size=-1.
         Performance degradation can occur on this case.
 
         If VLAN filtering is used, set log_num_mgm_entry_size=-1.
         Performance degradation can occur on this case.
 

-6. Restart the driver:
+3. Restart the driver:

 
    .. code-block:: console
 
 
    .. code-block:: console
 


@@ -304,7 +315,7 @@ Quick Start Guide
 
         service openibd restart
 
 
         service openibd restart
 

-7. Compile DPDK and you are ready to go. See instructions on
+4. Compile DPDK and you are ready to go. See instructions on

    :ref:`Development Kit Build System <Development_Kit_Build_System>`
 
 Performance tuning
    :ref:`Development Kit Build System <Development_Kit_Build_System>`
 
 Performance tuning

diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_11.rst
index e6e4407..c7d8826 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_11.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_11.rst
@@ -59,6 +59,32 @@ New Features
   "Network Interface Controller Drivers" document for more details on this new
   driver.
 
   "Network Interface Controller Drivers" document for more details on this new
   driver.
 

+* **Updated mlx4 driver.**
+
+  Updated the mlx4 driver including the following changes:
+
+   * Isolated mode (rte_flow) can now be enabled anytime, not only during
+     initial device configuration.
+   * Flow rules now support up to 4096 priority levels usable at will by
+     applications.
+   * Enhanced error message to help debugging invalid/unsupported flow rules.
+   * Flow rules matching all multicast and promiscuous traffic are now allowed.
+   * No more software restrictions on flow rules with the RSS action, their
+     configuration is much more flexible.
+   * Significantly reduced memory footprint for Rx and Tx queue objects.
+   * While supported, UDP RSS is temporarily disabled due to a remaining issue
+     with its support in the Linux kernel.
+   * The new RSS implementation does not automatically spread traffic according
+     to the inner packet of VXLAN frames anymore, only the outer one (like
+     other PMDs).
+   * Partial (Tx only) support for secondary processes was broken and had to be
+     removed.
+   * Refactored driver to get rid of dependency on the components provided by
+     Mellanox OFED and instead rely on the current and public rdma-core
+     package and Linux version from now on.
+   * Removed compile-time limitation on number of device instances the PMD
+     can support.
+

 * **Updated mlx5 driver.**
 
   Updated the mlx5 driver including the following changes:
 * **Updated mlx5 driver.**
 
   Updated the mlx5 driver including the following changes: