[dpdk-users] Query: decouple the driver and library components

[Wiles, Keith]

> On Sep 19, 2017, at 3:52 PM, Kushal Gautam <kushal.gautam at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi:
> 
> I am new to DPDK. I had been looking at the i40e driver implementation of
> DPDK. I see that the code is entirely revamped as compared to the original
> i40e-driver.
> 
> My query is that is it possible for me to use this i40e driver(in dpdk
> source code package) without other non-essential dependencies or in plain
> words, can I decouple these components ? I am more interested in the
> pollmode driver. My concern was on the jitter introduced by regular
> drivers. I did modify the original i40e driver for this, but things did not
> work out as I wanted to.
> 
> I understand that this driver package depends on various other libraries
> that are bundled with the source code. So, could I decouple these
> components ( for example; the libraries and the driver module) ?

DPDK PMDs are not standalone drivers and do require a fair number of DPDK headers and libraries. The i40e I believe does have core set of files that are generic across a number of OSes and systems. Intel provides the core code and DPDK PMD integrates with this core code by writing the DPDK PMD routines. I guess it is possible to take the core code and try to integrate to that level. As for taking the DPDK PMD as is will not be a simple task IMHO.

DPDK does provide external memory management for hardware and software designs in the mempool, which could allow you to add you memory allocation and your mbuf like wrapper around that memory. This was why it was added to DPDK to help developers with their own system to pull in DPDK for the PMDs.

Some parts of DPDK are kind of standalone, but no effort has been done to make them completely standalone libraries. IMO making it completely standalone set of libraries will add overhead (reduce performance) and a lot pain for the developers/users of DPDK integrate existing designs.

> 
> Any information on this would be very helpful.
> 
> Thanks,
> Kushal.

Regards,
Keith