| Message ID | 20230625015321.77987-1-bmeng@tinylab.org (mailing list archive) |
|---|---|
| Headers | show |
| Series | net: Pad short frames for network backends | expand |
On Sun, Jun 25, 2023 at 9:59 AM Bin Meng <bmeng@tinylab.org> wrote: > > The minimum Ethernet frame length is 60 bytes. For short frames with > smaller length like ARP packets (only 42 bytes), on a real world NIC > it can choose either padding its length to the minimum required 60 > bytes, or sending it out directly to the wire. Such behavior can be > hardcoded or controled by a register bit. Similarly on the receive > path, NICs can choose either dropping such short frames directly or > handing them over to software to handle. > > On the other hand, for the network backends like SLiRP/TAP, they > don't expose a way to control the short frame behavior. As of today > they just send/receive data from/to the other end connected to them, > which means any sized packet is acceptable. So they can send and > receive short frames without any problem. It is observed that ARP > packets sent from SLiRP/TAP are 42 bytes, and SLiRP/TAP just send > these ARP packets to the other end which might be a NIC model that > does not allow short frames to pass through. > > To provide better compatibility, for packets sent from QEMU network > backends like SLiRP/TAP, we change to pad short frames before sending > it out to the other end, if the other end does not forbid it via the > nc->do_not_pad flag. This ensures a backend as an Ethernet sender > does not violate the spec. But with this change, the behavior of > dropping short frames from SLiRP/TAP interfaces in the NIC model > cannot be emulated because it always receives a packet that is spec > complaint. The capability of sending short frames from NIC models is > still supported and short frames can still pass through SLiRP/TAP. > > This series should be able to fix the issue as reported with some > NIC models before, that ARP requests get dropped, preventing the > guest from becoming visible on the network. It was workarounded in > these NIC models on the receive path, that when a short frame is > received, it is padded up to 60 bytes. > > Only the first 4 patches of the v5 series [1] were applied in QEMU 6.0, > and the reset was said to be queued for 6.1 but for some reason they > never landed in QEMU mainline. > > Hopefully this series will make it for QEMU 8.1. > > [1] https://lore.kernel.org/qemu-devel/859cd26a-feb2-ed62-98d5-764841a468cf@redhat.com/ > > Changes in v7: > - new patch: "hw/net: ftgmac100: Drop the small packet check in the receive path" > Ping?
On Sun, Jul 2, 2023 at 9:35 AM Bin Meng <bmeng.cn@gmail.com> wrote: > > On Sun, Jun 25, 2023 at 9:59 AM Bin Meng <bmeng@tinylab.org> wrote: > > > > The minimum Ethernet frame length is 60 bytes. For short frames with > > smaller length like ARP packets (only 42 bytes), on a real world NIC > > it can choose either padding its length to the minimum required 60 > > bytes, or sending it out directly to the wire. Such behavior can be > > hardcoded or controled by a register bit. Similarly on the receive > > path, NICs can choose either dropping such short frames directly or > > handing them over to software to handle. > > > > On the other hand, for the network backends like SLiRP/TAP, they > > don't expose a way to control the short frame behavior. As of today > > they just send/receive data from/to the other end connected to them, > > which means any sized packet is acceptable. So they can send and > > receive short frames without any problem. It is observed that ARP > > packets sent from SLiRP/TAP are 42 bytes, and SLiRP/TAP just send > > these ARP packets to the other end which might be a NIC model that > > does not allow short frames to pass through. > > > > To provide better compatibility, for packets sent from QEMU network > > backends like SLiRP/TAP, we change to pad short frames before sending > > it out to the other end, if the other end does not forbid it via the > > nc->do_not_pad flag. This ensures a backend as an Ethernet sender > > does not violate the spec. But with this change, the behavior of > > dropping short frames from SLiRP/TAP interfaces in the NIC model > > cannot be emulated because it always receives a packet that is spec > > complaint. The capability of sending short frames from NIC models is > > still supported and short frames can still pass through SLiRP/TAP. > > > > This series should be able to fix the issue as reported with some > > NIC models before, that ARP requests get dropped, preventing the > > guest from becoming visible on the network. It was workarounded in > > these NIC models on the receive path, that when a short frame is > > received, it is padded up to 60 bytes. > > > > Only the first 4 patches of the v5 series [1] were applied in QEMU 6.0, > > and the reset was said to be queued for 6.1 but for some reason they > > never landed in QEMU mainline. > > > > Hopefully this series will make it for QEMU 8.1. > > > > [1] https://lore.kernel.org/qemu-devel/859cd26a-feb2-ed62-98d5-764841a468cf@redhat.com/ > > > > Changes in v7: > > - new patch: "hw/net: ftgmac100: Drop the small packet check in the receive path" > > > > Ping? I've queued this series. Thanks >
The minimum Ethernet frame length is 60 bytes. For short frames with smaller length like ARP packets (only 42 bytes), on a real world NIC it can choose either padding its length to the minimum required 60 bytes, or sending it out directly to the wire. Such behavior can be hardcoded or controled by a register bit. Similarly on the receive path, NICs can choose either dropping such short frames directly or handing them over to software to handle. On the other hand, for the network backends like SLiRP/TAP, they don't expose a way to control the short frame behavior. As of today they just send/receive data from/to the other end connected to them, which means any sized packet is acceptable. So they can send and receive short frames without any problem. It is observed that ARP packets sent from SLiRP/TAP are 42 bytes, and SLiRP/TAP just send these ARP packets to the other end which might be a NIC model that does not allow short frames to pass through. To provide better compatibility, for packets sent from QEMU network backends like SLiRP/TAP, we change to pad short frames before sending it out to the other end, if the other end does not forbid it via the nc->do_not_pad flag. This ensures a backend as an Ethernet sender does not violate the spec. But with this change, the behavior of dropping short frames from SLiRP/TAP interfaces in the NIC model cannot be emulated because it always receives a packet that is spec complaint. The capability of sending short frames from NIC models is still supported and short frames can still pass through SLiRP/TAP. This series should be able to fix the issue as reported with some NIC models before, that ARP requests get dropped, preventing the guest from becoming visible on the network. It was workarounded in these NIC models on the receive path, that when a short frame is received, it is padded up to 60 bytes. Only the first 4 patches of the v5 series [1] were applied in QEMU 6.0, and the reset was said to be queued for 6.1 but for some reason they never landed in QEMU mainline. Hopefully this series will make it for QEMU 8.1. [1] https://lore.kernel.org/qemu-devel/859cd26a-feb2-ed62-98d5-764841a468cf@redhat.com/ Changes in v7: - new patch: "hw/net: ftgmac100: Drop the small packet check in the receive path" Bin Meng (9): hw/net: e1000: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: vmxnet3: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: i82596: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: ne2000: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: pcnet: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: rtl8139: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: sungem: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: sunhme: Remove the logic of padding short frames in the receive path hw/net: ftgmac100: Drop the small packet check in the receive path hw/net/e1000.c | 11 +---------- hw/net/ftgmac100.c | 8 -------- hw/net/i82596.c | 18 ------------------ hw/net/ne2000.c | 12 ------------ hw/net/pcnet.c | 9 --------- hw/net/rtl8139.c | 12 ------------ hw/net/sungem.c | 14 -------------- hw/net/sunhme.c | 11 ----------- hw/net/vmxnet3.c | 10 ---------- 9 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 104 deletions(-)