[openib-general] Re: IP addressing on InfiniBand networks (Caitlin Bestler)

[Bill Strahm]

>------------------------------
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:00:37 -0700
>From: Roland Dreier <rolandd at cisco.com>
>Subject: Re: [openib-general] IP addressing on InfiniBand networks
>To: Caitlin Bestler <caitlin.bestler at gmail.com>
>Cc: "Lentini, James" <James.Lentini at netapp.com>, Christoph Hellwig
>	<hch at lst.de>,	openib-general <openib-general at openib.org>
>Message-ID: <5264vxi256.fsf at topspin.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>    Caitlin> An assigned GID meets all of the requirements for an IA
>    Caitlin> Address.  I think taking advantage of that existing
>    Caitlin> capability is just one of many options that can be done
>    Caitlin> by the IB CM rather than forcing IB specific changes up
>    Caitlin> to the application layer.
>
>Just to be clear, the IBA spec is very clear that a GID _is_ an IPv6 address.
>
> - R.
>
>  
>
Just to be REALLY clear - IANA has not allocated IPv6 address space to 
any Infiniband entities - so they are not Internet IPv6 addresses.  GIDs 
are formatted like IPv6 addresses but in no sense should EVER be used at 
an IP layer 3 address.

 From an IPoIB stance - IB is just a very over engineered Layer 2 that 
has a singularly large MAC address.

 From an IB ULP point of view - how you get to the layer 2 address that 
is needed to perform communications that do not include IP, it isn't a 
problem - but let me tell you.... The leadership of the IETF is scared 
of IB because of saying things IB GIDs _ARE_ IPv6 addresses.

Bill