[openib-general] OpenIB and OpenRDMA: Convergence on common RDMA APIs and ULPs for Linux

[Venkata Jagana]

I would like to start a discussion around the convergence of RDMA APIs and
ULPs
between OpenIB and OpenRDMA projects.

As you all know, Infiniband and iWARP based RNICs support RDMA capabilities
being
exploited by both kernel and user based applications and which can take
advantage of
these RDMA capabilities through standards based RDMA APIs such as DAPL,
IT-API (v1/v2).

There exists a set of upper layer protocols, such as NFS, SRP/iSER, SDP,
which are mostly
kernel based and also exists user based middleware/applications such as
DB2, Oracle, scientific
applications which would like to use a common set of APIs supported by the
underlying
operating systems in order to work over different RDMA fabrics like IB and
RNICs.

>From Linux kernel perspective, it is undesirable to have a different set of
APIs and ULPs
supported for variety of reasons including but not limited to the
duplication, testing effort etc.
OpenIB and OpenRDMA projects are separate efforts and are actively working
in its own paths
to develop the corresponding RDMA support in Linux but we want to make sure
we work together to avoid the duplication in providing the support.

The proposal for both communities is to start thinking and discussing on
how best
we could accomplish this commonality between these two projects. BTW, To
make this objective
further clear - this proposal is not about merging these two projects since
each project
has its own objective of supporting its RDMA function and rather intended
to steer both
projects toward the goal of standardizing RDMA APIs and providing common
ULPs as applicable.

However, we also have a challenge to address in implementing these common
ULPs and APIs
since OpenIB is currently using verbs PI for Linux defined through an open
source process and
OpenRDMA is currently defining RNIC-PI (supporting RNIC and IB compatible
verbs) for Linux
based on the industry standard evolving through Opengroup/ICSC and open
source community reviews.

The ultimate challenge for us is to come up with a common PI acceptable in
Linux while
taking into account the standards, hardware vendors portability for device
drivers, ULPs etc.

Thanks,
Venkat
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