HEADS UP: network locking work going on

From: Sam Leffler (sam_at_errno.com)
Date: 08/20/03

  • Next message: Kris Kennaway: "Re: HEADS UP: network locking work going on" 
    Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:18:16 -0700
To: freebsd-net@freebsd.org

    I'm actively working on improving the network performance of -current. Much
    of this work involves removing Giant from the network stack. I've already
    been in touch with many developers that are working in this area; this note
    is to insure "everyone" is aware. If your are actively working on stuff
    related to the network code and I haven't already corresponded with you;
    please let me know so we can coordinate our work--I have no interest in
    duplicating the efforts of others. Otherwise, if you are working in this
    area I'd appreciate knowing about any significant changes planned that
    might affect what I'm doing.

    As to the work itself, the overall goal is to bring the performance for
    "normal network use" back to at least that of -stable. This is to be done
    in time for the 5.2 release though the specifics of what is included in 5.2
    are to be determined. Obviously the main work here is to remove Giant and
    to that end I've already made a pass over the following areas (in no
    specific order):

    raw sockets
    routing table (except multicast routing)
    fast ipsec
    fast forwarding
    bridge
    ipfw
    802.11 layer
    fxp, em, sis, wi, and ath drivers

    For the most part I've been working "from the bottom up". I run numerous
    systems w/o Giant in my network drivers and with the "middleware" Giant
    free (e.g. I have a soekris 4501 running bridge+ipfw w/o Giant). At the
    moment I am concentrating on correctness and not performance so I cannot
    report how much improvement there is.

    I'll be posting all significant changes for review before they are
    committed. Expect the first wave of stuff today and tomorrow. Developers
    can "play along" by checking out the sam_netperf branch in the p4 repo.

    Once the work on the lower layer is stable I'll be turning my attention to
    the upper layers of the network and to IPv6 and NFS. There's plenty of
    work to go around, so if you're interested in participating please let me
    know.

            Sam
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  • Next message: Kris Kennaway: "Re: HEADS UP: network locking work going on"

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