[openib-general] RE: Re: [PATCH] ipoib_flush_paths

[Fabian Tillier]

On 4/6/06, Michael S. Tsirkin <mst at mellanox.co.il> wrote:
> Quoting r. Fabian Tillier <ftillier at silverstorm.com>:
> > Can't you pass in a reference to the client module for registration,
> > and then take a reference from the context of each request that is
> > released after the callback unwinds?  I thought Linux had module
> > reference functions...
>
> I thought about that , but this would mean:
>
> 1. changing API instead of extending it by new functions - lots of
>   churn for ULPs

Adding new functions to work around a flaw in an existing API is like
addressing the symptom of a problem instead of the cause.  If the API
is broken without the client making some other call to close a race,
then the API is broken - fix it.

> 2. adding overhead on data path rather than unload path where
>   it belongs

I can't imagine a module reference/dereference adds significant
overhead, so I don't buy this argument.

- Fab