[dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 00/18] refactor eal driver registration code

[Iremonger, Bernard]

Hi Bruce,
<snip>
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 00/18] refactor eal driver registration
> code
> 
> On Fri, Sep 04, 2015 at 12:01:36PM +0100, Bernard Iremonger wrote:
> > At present the eal driver registration code is more complicated than
> > it needs to be.
> >
> > This RFC proposes to simplify the eal driver registration code.
> >
> > Remove the type field from the eal driver structure.
> > Refactor the eal driver registration code to use the name field in the
> > eal driver structure instead of the type field.
> >
> > Modify all PMD's to use the modified eal driver structure.
> > Initialise the name field in the eal driver structure in some PMD's
> > where it is not initialised at present.
> >
> >
> Hi,
> 
> I don't think I like this approach very much. It seems very brittle to remove
> the explicit type field and starting to rely on the drivers putting a prefix in the
> name instead i.e. implicit typing.
> 
> What is the major concern with marking drivers as virtual or physical? My
> thinking is that we should keep the type field, just perhaps change PDEV to
> be more descriptive in identifying the type of physical device, e.g. DEV_PCI.
> 
> Regards,
> /Bruce

The eth_  prefix is already required  for vdev's  for example:
testpmd -c f -n 4 --vdev='eth_pcap0,iface=eth0'
testpmd -c f -n 4 --vdev=eth_ring0

The eth_ prefix should not be used for pdev's.

Keeping the type field and name field is duplicating  information

Regards,

Bernard.