[dpdk-dev] DPDK Experimental Functions

[Kinsella, Ray]

Hi All,

During recent work on the DPDK ABI, where we are looking to develop a nightly ABI regression test. 

We found a large number of experimental functions currently in DPDK API.
Currently, there are 537 experimental APIs out of a total of roughly ~1800 API, 30%-ish. 

While there is no correct number, as a percentage of the total, this appears to be very high.
I would question if all these API are really "new" and warrant the status?

There are currently 38 libraries and drivers with experimental functions.
And to be fair there are number of recently added libraries in list, shown below.
However there are also a number of libraries that have been around a very long time.

The following libraries and drivers have 10 or more experimental functions:

1.	rte_eal: 119
2.	rte_ethdev: 43
3.	rte_vhost: 42
4.	rte_graph: 35 (EXPERIMENTAL)
5.	rte_compressdev: 34
6.	rte_rib: 28 (EXPERIMENTAL)
7.	rte_pipeline: 24
8.	rte_regexdev: 22 (EXPERIMENTAL)
9.	rte_cryptodev: 18
10.	rte_fib: 16 (EXPERIMENTAL)
11.	rte_ipsec: 15 (EXPERIMENTAL)
12.	rte_telemetry: 12 (EXPERIMENTAL)
13.	rte_mbuf: 11
14.	rte_rcu: 11 (EXPERIMENTAL)
15.	rte_bus_fslmc: 11
16.	rte_bpf: 10 (EXPERIMENTAL)

Do the maintainers of these libraries and drivers, 
A. Feel that experimental status continues to be warranted against these API?
B. Have plans in place to move all/some of these functions to stable in the 20.11 timeframe?

Kudos to Conor Walsh for pulling this data together. 

Thanks,

Ray K