RE: [PATCH iproute2 v5 2/4] ifstat: Add extended statistics to ifstat

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Hemminger [mailto:stephen@networkplumber.org]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2017 6:34 AM
To: Nogah Frankel <redacted>
Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org; roopa@cumulusnetworks.com; roszenrami@gmail.com;
jbenc@redhat.com; sergei.shtylyov@cogentembedded.com; Jiri Pirko
[off-list ref]; Elad Raz [off-list ref]; Ido Schimmel
[off-list ref]; Yotam Gigi [off-list ref]; Or Gerlitz
[off-list ref]
Subject: Re: [PATCH iproute2 v5 2/4] ifstat: Add extended statistics to ifstat

On Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:44:39 +0200
Nogah Frankel [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

Extended stats are part of the RTM_GETSTATS method. This patch adds them
to ifstat.
While extended stats can come in many forms, we support only the
rtnl_link_stats64 struct for them (which is the 64 bits version of struct
rtnl_link_stats).
We support stats in the main nesting level, or one lower.
The extension can be called by its name or any shorten of it. If there is
more than one matched, the first one will be picked.

To get the extended stats the flag -x <stats type> is used.

It would be better if this command used 64 bit statistics transparently
like other tools in iproute2. Transparency is always better user experience.

From user point of view, all the statistics in ifstat are 64 bits and are saved that way.
We currently get the stats in 32 bits structs and translate them to 64 bits. It keeps track
of  int overflows (in the 32 bits).
The problem with it is  that if between one ifstat call to another passes too much time,
one might lose one of the overflows. 
But to change it is not a trivial matter, and I believe it is not related to the xstat feature I
want to add.
I don't think I understood what is the change you want.