Re: [PATCH V2 09/12] net/eipoib: Add main driver functionality

Or Gerlitz [off-list ref] wrote:

On Sun, Aug 5, 2012 at 12:23 AM, Or Gerlitz [off-list ref]
wrote:

quoted

The idea in eIPoIB was to allow IP apps running on VMs under a

Para-Virtual set of

quoted

mind, e.g when the Linux PV networking stack comes into play, to use

that stack w.o > modifying it. When looking on that, we thought so far
so good, and went in the way

quoted

posted here. If reusing your last sentence... this driver provides a

way for apps to use

quoted

the PV stack AND IB whilst using something familiar, like IPv4.

OK, when I said the PV stack, I meant the portion of the PV stack
which assumes Ethernet link layer, ofcourse... If someone uses routing
they don't need this driver.

Again, since the app only uses IP,  which is well defined, etc. the
work done by the eipoib driver, didn't seem as hackish messing, so I'm
again with that WW (Why/What) question from 5m ago.

Something is missing from your sentence. 

What is the alternative that you view as worse?

Juast as a point of information.  In general when bridging is desired but not possible people deploy proxy arp.

I completely fail to see how having the VM output to a tun interface and then routing that, would not be supported by current solutions.  I believe that is where VM solutions all started networking wise.  Outputting to an interface is needed to support interfaces like 802.11 where bridging frequently does not work.

Eric