[openib-general] Lustre Network Driver - KDAPL or verbs?

[Matt Leininger]

On Sun, 2005-10-09 at 17:17 -0400, Peter J. Braam wrote:
> Cluster File Systems, Inc and its customers have been wondering if the
> Lustre Network Driver (LND) for OpenIb gen2, which we will begin to
> develop during the coming months, should be based on kdapl or verbs.
>  
> The driver we plan to develop should strive to address several goals: 
>  - high reliability and performance
>  - allow interoperability between user and kernel level
>  - allow interoperability, or better, portability among different
> operating systems (Linux, OS X, Windows, Solaris)
>  - be suitable for inclusion in the Linux kernel
>  
  These last two bullets are mutually exclusive.  Submitting code, for
inclusion into Linux, that contains an OS abstraction is a sure way to
get your code rejected.  It happened to the IBAL stack and it will
happen again unless you focus on a Linux specific "Lustre network
driver".  

  As a custom of IB products and Lustre, I'd recommend coding to the
OpenIB Verbs layer and use the new CM code as it develops (as Fab
described).  It's not difficult to port from VAPI to OpenIB Verbs  so
your current VAPI NAL would be a good starting point.

  It would be great to see fewer Lustre kernel patches and more of
Lustre in the Linux kernel.


  Thanks,

	- Matt