[JNPR] Network stack as a module (RFC)

[Marcel Moolenaar]

On Nov 16, 2013, at 12:49 AM, Gleb Smirnoff <glebius at FreeBSD.org> wrote:

>  Steve,
> 
> On Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 04:52:10PM -0500, Steve Kiernan wrote:
> S> This is a follow up to the request sent back in January titled "Proposal for changes to network device drivers and network stack".
> S> 
> S> In order to make it easier to review, we will be submitting pieces to be contributed in logical blocks.
> S> 
> S> Please review the following patch and provide feedback:
> S> http://people.freebsd.org/~marcel/Juniper/201311/netstack-option.diff
> S> 
> S> The details of this patch are as follows (and what is suggested for the commit log):
> S> 
> S> Add a NETSTACK option to facilitate separating network stack pieces from the
> S> rest of the OS core. This is the first step towards having the network stack
> S> as a module.
> 
> You probably mean "having the network stack optional", since under module we
> usually mean loadable kernel module.

Actually, we do mean module. At Juniper we have the FreeBSD stack
as a loadable module now. We also have the Juniper stack as a
loadable module. Depending on context, we can use the most
appropriate one. Yes, this implies that we also have a stable
interface between the NIC driver and the network stack itself.
We'll be contributing that as well...

Note that assumptions in the finalization of setting up networking
limits the network stack from being loaded manually, not to mention
that unloading is an entirely different challenge. Nonetheless it's
very useful without all that and I think it will make it easier for
people to change the network stack or experiment with beta versions
this way.

It all really comes in handy for the opaque ifnet work...

FYI,

-- 
Marcel Moolenaar
marcel at xcllnt.net