[openib-general] makiing ibverb.h transport neutral -- 2nd draft

Caitlin Bestler caitlinb at siliquent.com
Thu Jul 14 13:30:01 PDT 2005


 


> 
> If iwarp_verbs.h is complete, then it only extends 4 enums 
> and encapsulates
> 3 data structures without extending them at all.  This makes 
> me suspect that iwarp could just plug into the existing verbs 
> API without widespread changes.
> 
> - Sean
> 
You're looking at the wrong file.

What's important to a developer is not how seldom they need
to deal with iWARP specifics, but how much IB specifics they
can ignore once the data structures cleanly separate the
transport neutral problem-related fields from the IB-specific
solution-oriented fields.

I do not think it is reasonable for developers to have to wade
through long structures and read comments to determine field
by field which fields they can ignore. Rather transport neutral
fields should be isolated either by a union or by a sub-type.

That way, someone who wants to write transport neutral code
is prevented from accidentally referencing transport specific
fields.



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