[dpdk-dev] random pkt generator PMD

[Yerden Zhumabekov]

On 15.06.2016 17:25, Panu Matilainen wrote:
> On 06/15/2016 02:10 PM, Yerden Zhumabekov wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 15.06.2016 16:43, Dumitrescu, Cristian wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> 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.
>
> So add a loop-mode to pcap pmd?

It would be nice to have an option like "...,rewind=1,...".