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diff --git a/Documentation/ntb.txt b/Documentation/ntb.txt index 1d9bbabb6c79..a043854d28df 100644 --- a/Documentation/ntb.txt +++ b/Documentation/ntb.txt @@ -1,16 +1,21 @@ -# NTB Drivers +=========== +NTB Drivers +=========== NTB (Non-Transparent Bridge) is a type of PCI-Express bridge chip that connects -the separate memory systems of two computers to the same PCI-Express fabric. -Existing NTB hardware supports a common feature set, including scratchpad -registers, doorbell registers, and memory translation windows. 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. 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 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 @@ -18,7 +23,8 @@ 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 +================== NTB client drivers should register with the NTB core driver. After registering, the client probe and remove functions will be called appropriately @@ -26,7 +32,90 @@ 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 Transport Client (ntb\_transport) and NTB Netdev (ntb\_netdev) +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, @@ -37,7 +126,8 @@ 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) +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. @@ -64,7 +154,8 @@ Module Parameters: * 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) +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 @@ -74,48 +165,60 @@ The Tool does not currently have any module parameters. Debugfs Files: -* *debugfs*/ntb\_tool/*hw*/ - A directory in debugfs will be created for each +* *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 +* *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. +* *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. +* *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 +* *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 +* *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 +* *hw*/peer\_spad + This file is used to read and write peer scratchpads. See *spad* for details. -## NTB Hardware Drivers +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) +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 +* 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 +* 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 +* 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*. |
