[openib-general] IPoIB interface for unauthorized partition

[Roland Dreier]

    Eitan> I thought the intent of the IB spec when defining P_Key
    Eitan> index usage (and not P_Key value) was that the P_Key values
    Eitan> would never need to be known above the driver level.  To
    Eitan> avoid exposing the P_Key values we could use P_Key index
    Eitan> for creating the IPoIB interfaces.

    Eitan> Does it make sense to work on a patch that would setup
    Eitan> IPoIB interfaces by the P_Key index (and not by P_Key
    Eitan> value)?

I don't see how this is feasible.  The index that a particular P_Key
lands at is completely undetermined -- if two nodes wanted to talk on
partition 0x8001 say, how does one know which interface to use without
knowing the index of that P_Key?

    Eitan> Also I think the expected behavior for IPoIB should be that
    Eitan> IPoIB "child" interfaces should be "automatically"
    Eitan> initialized by the code that brings up the interface
    Eitan> (ifconfig scripts). All valid IPoIB partitions (valid =
    Eitan> have corresponding broadcast groups) should be
    Eitan> initialized. By doing so we provide a centralized control
    Eitan> of the partitions and their IPoIB interfaces through the
    Eitan> SM.

Not sure if this is so.  I may want a partition strictly for storage
traffic something like that, so it doesn't make sense to create an
IPoIB interface for that partition.

 - R.