doc: update for VFD experimental API

Update the doc and release note.

Signed-off-by: Wenzhuo Lu <wenzhuo.lu@intel.com>
Acked-by: Helin Zhang <helin.zhang@intel.com>
Acked-by: Vincent Jardin <vincent.jardin@6wind.com>

diff --git a/doc/guides/contributing/design.rst b/doc/guides/contributing/design.rst
index bac3d1b..88d3a43 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/guides/contributing/design.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/contributing/design.rst
@@ -158,3 +158,17 @@ cache bandwidth, memory bandwidth, etc) that depends on:
   branches are usually required. When processing a burst of packets that have been
   validated for header integrity, counting the number of bits set in a bitmask
   might be needed.
+
+PF and VF Considerations
+------------------------
+
+The primary goal of DPDK is to provide a userspace dataplane. Managing VFs from
+a PF driver is a control plane feature and developers should generally rely on
+the Linux Kernel for that.
+
+Developers should work with the Linux Kernel community to get the required
+functionality upstream. PF functionality should only be added to DPDK for
+testing and prototyping purposes while the kernel work is ongoing. It should
+also be marked with an "EXPERIMENTAL" tag. If the functionality isn't
+upstreamable then a case can be made to maintain the PF functionality in DPDK
+without the EXPERIMENTAL tag.

diff --git a/doc/guides/nics/i40e.rst b/doc/guides/nics/i40e.rst
index 0cc9268..1245ecf 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/guides/nics/i40e.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/nics/i40e.rst
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ Features of the I40E PMD are:
 - SR-IOV VF
 - Hot plug
 - IEEE1588/802.1AS timestamping
+- VF Daemon (VFD) - EXPERIMENTAL
 
 
 Prerequisites

diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_02.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_02.rst
index c969de0..d297bfd 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_02.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_17_02.rst
@@ -66,6 +66,34 @@ New Features
 
   Added support for I219 Intel 1GbE NICs.
 
+* **Added VF Daemon (VFD) on i40e. - EXPERIMENTAL**
+
+  This's an EXPERIMENTAL feature to enhance the capability of DPDK PF as many
+  VF management features are not supported by kernel PF driver.
+  Some new private APIs are implemented in PMD without abstrction layer.
+  They can be used directly by some users who have the need.
+
+  The new APIs to control VFs directly from PF include,
+  1) set VF MAC anti-spoofing
+  2) set VF VLAN anti-spoofing
+  3) set TX loopback
+  4) set VF unicast promiscuous mode
+  5) set VF multicast promiscuous mode
+  6) set VF MTU
+  7) get/reset VF stats
+  8) set VF MAC address
+  9) set VF VLAN stripping
+  10) VF VLAN insertion
+  12) set VF broadcast mode
+  13) set VF VLAN tag
+  14) set VF VLAN filter
+  VFD also includes VF to PF mailbox message management by APP.
+  When PF receives mailbox messages from VF, PF should call the callback
+  provided by APP to know if they're permitted to be processed.
+
+  As an EXPERIMENTAL feature, please aware it can be changed or even
+  removed without prior notice.
+
 * **Added Solarflare libefx-based network PMD.**
 
   A new network PMD which supports Solarflare SFN7xxx and SFN8xxx family