[openib-general] [PATCH]proposal for enabling partial ports on HCA

[Shirley Ma]

    Fab> Shouldn't a user get an error (not an oops) if they try to
    Fab> use the MAD layer for a device that didn't initialize
    Fab> properly within the MAD layer?  Doesn't the MAD layer trap
    Fab> that device requests are valid?  It seems that adding such
    Fab> checks would be much simpler to implement, rather than trying
    Fab> to figure out how to express these limitations to the various
    Fab> ULPs.

> Yeah, I guess that makes sense, although it exercises the upper
> layers' error paths more.  All of the modules that export interfaces
> used by other layers have to be prepared for a device that they failed
> to initialize, and the upper layers have to be prepared for lower
> layers to fail.

These two approches are both need to go through each layer. The difference 
is one prevents the error happen earlier, another one detects the error 
later, which would be a better solution if the error could happen later.
 
It's necessary to modify the ib_mad, ib_sa, ib_cm, just act like ib_ipoib 
and ib_cache to continue initializing when one port encounting errors, 
instead of releasing all resouces. If you agree, I am creating as the 
first patch for review. How to handler the errors would be the second 
patch.

Thanks
Shirley Ma
IBM Linux Technology Center
15300 SW Koll Parkway
Beaverton, OR 97006-6063
Phone(Fax): (503) 578-7638

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