[dpdk-dev] random pkt generator PMD

[Yerden Zhumabekov]

On 15.06.2016 16:43, Dumitrescu, Cristian wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces at dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Yerden
>> Zhumabekov
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 10:44 AM
>> To: dev at dpdk.org
>> Subject: [dpdk-dev] random pkt generator PMD
>>
>> Hello everybody,
>>
>> DPDK already got a number of PMDs for various eth devices, it even has
>> PMD emulations for backends such as pcap, sw rings etc.
>>
>> I've been thinking about the idea of having PMD which would generate
>> mbufs on the fly in some randomized fashion. This would serve goals
>> like, for example:
>>
>> 1) running tests for applications with network processing capabilities
>> without additional software packet generators;
>> 2) making performance measurements with no hw inteference;
>> 3) ability to run without root privileges, --no-pci, --no-huge, for CI
>> build, so on.
>>
>> Maybe there's no such need, and these goals may be achieved by other
>> means and this idea is flawed? Any thoughts?
> How about a Perl/Python script to generate a PCAP file with random packets and then feed the PCAP file to the PCAP PMD?
>
> Random can mean different requirements for different users/application, I think it is difficult to fit this  under a simple generic API. Customizing the script for different requirements if a far better option in my opinion.

AFAIK, the thing about pcap pmd is that one needs to rewind pcap file 
once pcap pmd reaches its end. It requires additional (non-generic) 
handling in app code.