Windows SR-IOV provides a backchannel mechanism in software for communication
between a VF driver and a PF driver. These "configuration blocks" are
similar in concept to PCI configuration space, but instead of doing reads and
writes in 32-bit chunks through a very slow path, packets of up to 128 bytes
can be sent or received asynchronously.
Nearly every SR-IOV device contains just such a communications channel in
hardware, so using this one in software is usually optional. Using the
software channel, however, allows driver implementers to leverage software
tools that fuzz the communications channel looking for vulnerabilities.
The usage model for these packets puts the responsibility for reading or
writing on the VF driver. The VF driver sends a read or a write packet,
indicating which "block" is being referred to by number.
If the PF driver wishes to initiate communication, it can "invalidate" one or
more of the first 64 blocks. This invalidation is delivered via a callback
supplied by the VF driver by this driver.
No protocol is implied, except that supplied by the PF and VF drivers.
Signed-off-by: Jake Oshins <jakeo@microsoft.com>
Signed-off-by: Dexuan Cui <decui@microsoft.com>
Cc: Haiyang Zhang <haiyangz@microsoft.com>
Cc: K. Y. Srinivasan <kys@microsoft.com>
Cc: Stephen Hemminger <sthemmin@microsoft.com>
Signed-off-by: Saeed Mahameed <saeedm@mellanox.com>
Signed-off-by: Haiyang Zhang <haiyangz@microsoft.com>
Signed-off-by: David S. Miller <davem@davemloft.net>
e5d2f910cf