[openib-general] Re: [RFC] OpenSM Interactive Console

[Hal Rosenstock]

On Tue, 2005-10-18 at 17:11, Eitan Zahavi wrote:
> Hal Rosenstock wrote:
> > Currently, OpenSM does not support an interactive console. There has
> > been a desire to introduce the ability to change certain parameters (as
> > well as display things) once OpenSM has started. This patch introduces
> > the first most basic commands: help and loglevel. I am investgating
> > adding smpriority to this. The console is invoked by specifying -console
> > as an option on the opensm command line.
> > 
> > If you have a request for a command you would like in the console, I
> > would like to compile a list of these. 
> > 
> > Comments ?
> 
> OpenSM gen1 has a nice TCL API (named osmsh) that lets you do all that 
> and much more.
> Setting ALL options is supported.
> It also provides a Tcl access to the SM Database so you can write your own 
> reports on FDB/MC-FDB etc.
> Interactive control on the discovery and fabric settings sequence allows 
> "single stepping" too.

IMO osmsh is more a debugger's tool. It relies on OpenSM globals and
internal SM data structures rather than well defined APIs which might
isolate the user from changes. (It exposes the internals of the SM and
SM modifications may cause scripts using osmsh) to stop working, and
worse than that, osmsh scripts may cause serious SM bugs.

I think there is a place for a "safer" console. Perhaps there are levels
of access privileges where some can do RO things and others have RW
access.

> The OpenSM user manual provides extensive description of it, 
> including some programming examples.

What OpenSM documentation ? I didn't see any with the 1.8.0 release.

> Porting of osmsh to gen2 should be very simple.

Is someone working on doing this ?

> I do not see why we need to invent yet another way to do these things.
> Instead I would recommend including osm Tcl extension in the gen2 trunk 
> and put it to work.

-- Hal