[IBAL]path records pkey issue. was: [ofw] what's up with theOFA Windows project?

[Alex Estrin]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hal Rosenstock [mailto:hrosenstock at xsigo.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:04 PM
> To: chas williams - CONTRACTOR
> Cc: Alex Estrin; ofw at lists.openfabrics.org; Gilad Shainer
> Subject: Re: [IBAL]path records pkey issue. was: [ofw] what's up with
> theOFA Windows project?
> 
> On Thu, 2008-02-14 at 11:58 -0500, chas williams - CONTRACTOR wrote:
> > In message
> <C07C40DB2364324799506DE8FF12F8D85960A9 at EPEXCH1.qlogic.org>,"Alex Es
> > trin" writes:
> > >I believe if SM returns path records with different pkeys it should
> mean
> > >host and a storage are both members of both partitions, and
obtained
> > >paths are valid for this host.
> > >Then the consumer of path records (SRP initiator in our case) could
> > >validate what path has higher priority to use.
> > >
> > >With proposed patch all IOCs on the fabric will be visible only by
> hosts
> > >having default pkey in it's pkey table.
> > >For example, if IOC configured to have pkey1 only, then host on the
> same
> > >partition with pkey1 won't ever find this IOC, since it will be
looking
> > >for it in default partition only.
> >
> > i also dont think the sm query returns both paths on both
partitions.
> > just the path that is the 'best' match.  if it return both paths i
> > wouldnt have my problem.  i would think picking the best partition
to
> > use should be done at the application layer, not the discovery
layer?
> >
> > it is true that the storage is a member of both partitions.  but i
dont
> > know of any storage targets that respond to a pkey other than
0xffff.
> > the linux ofed stack just ignores this problem completely and
hardcodes
> > 0xffff when it creates a path between the client and the storage.
> >
> >
> > i was under the impression that you need to be a member of the
default
> > partition in all cases?
> 
> Yes, but perhaps only as a limited rather than full member.

Per my understanding default pkey no different from any other, is just
another key with only privilege - it is always valid and provides full
membership in default partition. Having all fabric nodes as full members
on default partition beside their own dedicated partitions is valid
configuration, but it breaches the security.

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