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diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/ntb.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/ntb.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..074a423c853c --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/driver-api/ntb.rst @@ -0,0 +1,236 @@ +=========== +NTB Drivers +=========== + +NTB (Non-Transparent Bridge) is a type of PCI-Express bridge chip that connects +the separate memory systems of two or more computers to the same PCI-Express +fabric. Existing NTB hardware supports a common feature set: doorbell +registers and memory translation windows, as well as non common features like +scratchpad and message registers. Scratchpad registers are read-and-writable +registers that are accessible from either side of the device, so that peers can +exchange a small amount of information at a fixed address. Message registers can +be utilized for the same purpose. Additionally they are provided with with +special status bits to make sure the information isn't rewritten by another +peer. Doorbell registers provide a way for peers to send interrupt events. +Memory windows allow translated read and write access to the peer memory. + +NTB Core Driver (ntb) +===================== + +The NTB core driver defines an api wrapping the common feature set, and allows +clients interested in NTB features to discover NTB the devices supported by +hardware drivers. The term "client" is used here to mean an upper layer +component making use of the NTB api. The term "driver," or "hardware driver," +is used here to mean a driver for a specific vendor and model of NTB hardware. + +NTB Client Drivers +================== + +NTB client drivers should register with the NTB core driver. After +registering, the client probe and remove functions will be called appropriately +as ntb hardware, or hardware drivers, are inserted and removed. The +registration uses the Linux Device framework, so it should feel familiar to +anyone who has written a pci driver. + +NTB Typical client driver implementation +---------------------------------------- + +Primary purpose of NTB is to share some peace of memory between at least two +systems. So the NTB device features like Scratchpad/Message registers are +mainly used to perform the proper memory window initialization. Typically +there are two types of memory window interfaces supported by the NTB API: +inbound translation configured on the local ntb port and outbound translation +configured by the peer, on the peer ntb port. The first type is +depicted on the next figure:: + + Inbound translation: + + Memory: Local NTB Port: Peer NTB Port: Peer MMIO: + ____________ + | dma-mapped |-ntb_mw_set_trans(addr) | + | memory | _v____________ | ______________ + | (addr) |<======| MW xlat addr |<====| MW base addr |<== memory-mapped IO + |------------| |--------------| | |--------------| + +So typical scenario of the first type memory window initialization looks: +1) allocate a memory region, 2) put translated address to NTB config, +3) somehow notify a peer device of performed initialization, 4) peer device +maps corresponding outbound memory window so to have access to the shared +memory region. + +The second type of interface, that implies the shared windows being +initialized by a peer device, is depicted on the figure:: + + Outbound translation: + + Memory: Local NTB Port: Peer NTB Port: Peer MMIO: + ____________ ______________ + | dma-mapped | | | MW base addr |<== memory-mapped IO + | memory | | |--------------| + | (addr) |<===================| MW xlat addr |<-ntb_peer_mw_set_trans(addr) + |------------| | |--------------| + +Typical scenario of the second type interface initialization would be: +1) allocate a memory region, 2) somehow deliver a translated address to a peer +device, 3) peer puts the translated address to NTB config, 4) peer device maps +outbound memory window so to have access to the shared memory region. + +As one can see the described scenarios can be combined in one portable +algorithm. + + Local device: + 1) Allocate memory for a shared window + 2) Initialize memory window by translated address of the allocated region + (it may fail if local memory window initialization is unsupported) + 3) Send the translated address and memory window index to a peer device + + Peer device: + 1) Initialize memory window with retrieved address of the allocated + by another device memory region (it may fail if peer memory window + initialization is unsupported) + 2) Map outbound memory window + +In accordance with this scenario, the NTB Memory Window API can be used as +follows: + + Local device: + 1) ntb_mw_count(pidx) - retrieve number of memory ranges, which can + be allocated for memory windows between local device and peer device + of port with specified index. + 2) ntb_get_align(pidx, midx) - retrieve parameters restricting the + shared memory region alignment and size. Then memory can be properly + allocated. + 3) Allocate physically contiguous memory region in compliance with + restrictions retrieved in 2). + 4) ntb_mw_set_trans(pidx, midx) - try to set translation address of + the memory window with specified index for the defined peer device + (it may fail if local translated address setting is not supported) + 5) Send translated base address (usually together with memory window + number) to the peer device using, for instance, scratchpad or message + registers. + + Peer device: + 1) ntb_peer_mw_set_trans(pidx, midx) - try to set received from other + device (related to pidx) translated address for specified memory + window. It may fail if retrieved address, for instance, exceeds + maximum possible address or isn't properly aligned. + 2) ntb_peer_mw_get_addr(widx) - retrieve MMIO address to map the memory + window so to have an access to the shared memory. + +Also it is worth to note, that method ntb_mw_count(pidx) should return the +same value as ntb_peer_mw_count() on the peer with port index - pidx. + +NTB Transport Client (ntb\_transport) and NTB Netdev (ntb\_netdev) +------------------------------------------------------------------ + +The primary client for NTB is the Transport client, used in tandem with NTB +Netdev. These drivers function together to create a logical link to the peer, +across the ntb, to exchange packets of network data. The Transport client +establishes a logical link to the peer, and creates queue pairs to exchange +messages and data. The NTB Netdev then creates an ethernet device using a +Transport queue pair. Network data is copied between socket buffers and the +Transport queue pair buffer. The Transport client may be used for other things +besides Netdev, however no other applications have yet been written. + +NTB Ping Pong Test Client (ntb\_pingpong) +----------------------------------------- + +The Ping Pong test client serves as a demonstration to exercise the doorbell +and scratchpad registers of NTB hardware, and as an example simple NTB client. +Ping Pong enables the link when started, waits for the NTB link to come up, and +then proceeds to read and write the doorbell scratchpad registers of the NTB. +The peers interrupt each other using a bit mask of doorbell bits, which is +shifted by one in each round, to test the behavior of multiple doorbell bits +and interrupt vectors. The Ping Pong driver also reads the first local +scratchpad, and writes the value plus one to the first peer scratchpad, each +round before writing the peer doorbell register. + +Module Parameters: + +* unsafe - Some hardware has known issues with scratchpad and doorbell + registers. By default, Ping Pong will not attempt to exercise such + hardware. You may override this behavior at your own risk by setting + unsafe=1. +* delay\_ms - Specify the delay between receiving a doorbell + interrupt event and setting the peer doorbell register for the next + round. +* init\_db - Specify the doorbell bits to start new series of rounds. A new + series begins once all the doorbell bits have been shifted out of + range. +* dyndbg - It is suggested to specify dyndbg=+p when loading this module, and + then to observe debugging output on the console. + +NTB Tool Test Client (ntb\_tool) +-------------------------------- + +The Tool test client serves for debugging, primarily, ntb hardware and drivers. +The Tool provides access through debugfs for reading, setting, and clearing the +NTB doorbell, and reading and writing scratchpads. + +The Tool does not currently have any module parameters. + +Debugfs Files: + +* *debugfs*/ntb\_tool/*hw*/ + A directory in debugfs will be created for each + NTB device probed by the tool. This directory is shortened to *hw* + below. +* *hw*/db + This file is used to read, set, and clear the local doorbell. Not + all operations may be supported by all hardware. To read the doorbell, + read the file. To set the doorbell, write `s` followed by the bits to + set (eg: `echo 's 0x0101' > db`). To clear the doorbell, write `c` + followed by the bits to clear. +* *hw*/mask + This file is used to read, set, and clear the local doorbell mask. + See *db* for details. +* *hw*/peer\_db + This file is used to read, set, and clear the peer doorbell. + See *db* for details. +* *hw*/peer\_mask + This file is used to read, set, and clear the peer doorbell + mask. See *db* for details. +* *hw*/spad + This file is used to read and write local scratchpads. To read + the values of all scratchpads, read the file. To write values, write a + series of pairs of scratchpad number and value + (eg: `echo '4 0x123 7 0xabc' > spad` + # to set scratchpads `4` and `7` to `0x123` and `0xabc`, respectively). +* *hw*/peer\_spad + This file is used to read and write peer scratchpads. See + *spad* for details. + +NTB Hardware Drivers +==================== + +NTB hardware drivers should register devices with the NTB core driver. After +registering, clients probe and remove functions will be called. + +NTB Intel Hardware Driver (ntb\_hw\_intel) +------------------------------------------ + +The Intel hardware driver supports NTB on Xeon and Atom CPUs. + +Module Parameters: + +* b2b\_mw\_idx + If the peer ntb is to be accessed via a memory window, then use + this memory window to access the peer ntb. A value of zero or positive + starts from the first mw idx, and a negative value starts from the last + mw idx. Both sides MUST set the same value here! The default value is + `-1`. +* b2b\_mw\_share + If the peer ntb is to be accessed via a memory window, and if + the memory window is large enough, still allow the client to use the + second half of the memory window for address translation to the peer. +* xeon\_b2b\_usd\_bar2\_addr64 + If using B2B topology on Xeon hardware, use + this 64 bit address on the bus between the NTB devices for the window + at BAR2, on the upstream side of the link. +* xeon\_b2b\_usd\_bar4\_addr64 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. +* xeon\_b2b\_usd\_bar4\_addr32 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. +* xeon\_b2b\_usd\_bar5\_addr32 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. +* xeon\_b2b\_dsd\_bar2\_addr64 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. +* xeon\_b2b\_dsd\_bar4\_addr64 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. +* xeon\_b2b\_dsd\_bar4\_addr32 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. +* xeon\_b2b\_dsd\_bar5\_addr32 - See *xeon\_b2b\_bar2\_addr64*. |