[ewg] OFA EWG Meeting: Monday, April 4th 2020 - Minutes

[Davis, Arlin R]

Attendees                    Company
Arlin Davis                     Intel
Bob Woodruff               Intel
Bill Snapko                     HPE
Rupert Dance               SW Forge

Vladimir Sokolovsky    Mellanox
Devesh Sharma             Broadcom
Eddie Wai                       Broadcom
Jim Ryan                         OFA



Agenda:

*         OFA board asked if EWG community would be interested in supporting an OFED "lite" distribution going forward.

*         OFED lite option:

o   Simple packaging, update drivers only - ported to in-box distro release of rdma-core

o   Bug fixing only, no new features, in-kernel rdma_core would not be replaced/modified



*         IBTA use of OFED - brief history from Rupert

o   Initially used OFED, supported all vendors with distribution - everyone backported drivers

o   Then moved to MOFED for Mellanox, OFED for other vendors that still supported backports from upstream kernel

o   Now, MOFED for Mellanox, in-box distro releases for vendors (Broadcom, Cavium), OFED no longer useful without backports

o   Unless this new model supported driver updates, within 1-2 months of distro release it will be too dated to be useful



  *   Open discussion regarding OFED lite option
     *   General feeling is that there is little value with driver fixes only, should just go directly to distro upgrade packages, supported and timely (yum update)
     *   OFED driver fixes packaged for in-box release, installed by customers, wouldn't be supported by distro's
     *   Requires vendors to build/maintain drivers across many different kernel source trees and rdma_core stacks
     *   Cavium email,  "we prefer to deliver our own drivers to customers, we don't see the added value of having a common ofed release if it's just for drivers"
     *   Broadcom and HPE still see the value in getting the latest upstream rdma-core feature set for their customers
     *   Broadcom is willing to pick up rdma-core, compat-rdma porting if they get help.
        *   Vlad explained details of compat-rdma backporting, huge amount of work - similar to what RH does for major releases with a 4-person team.
     *   Intel uses own packaging for OPA, works directly with distro's for other network drivers, no need for OFED or OFED lite.
     *   Mellanox builds and maintains its own distribution for customers, doesn't need OFED



  *   Suggestion was made to take a quick rollcall - OFED lite vs continue with OFED full support
     *   Company             OFED lite              OFED full
     *   Broadcom           no                           yes
     *   Mellanox             no                           no
     *   Intel                       no                           no
     *   SW Forge             no                           no
     *   HPE                        no                           yes
     *   Cavium (email)  no                           no

Please send any corrections or omissions as needed.


Regards,



Arlin
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