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net: TX_RING and packet mmap
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New packet socket feature that makes packet socket more efficient for
transmission.

- It reduces number of system call through a PACKET_TX_RING mechanism,
  based on PACKET_RX_RING (Circular buffer allocated in kernel space
  which is mmapped from user space).

- It minimizes CPU copy using fragmented SKB (almost zero copy).

Signed-off-by: Johann Baudy <johann.baudy@gnu-log.net>
Signed-off-by: David S. Miller <davem@davemloft.net>
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Johann Baudy authored and davem330 committed May 19, 2009
1 parent f67f340 commit 69e3c75
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140 changes: 121 additions & 19 deletions Documentation/networking/packet_mmap.txt
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -4,16 +4,18 @@

This file documents the CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP option available with the PACKET
socket interface on 2.4 and 2.6 kernels. This type of sockets is used for
capture network traffic with utilities like tcpdump or any other that uses
the libpcap library.

You can find the latest version of this document at
capture network traffic with utilities like tcpdump or any other that needs
raw access to network interface.

You can find the latest version of this document at:
http://pusa.uv.es/~ulisses/packet_mmap/

Please send me your comments to
Howto can be found at:
http://wiki.gnu-log.net (packet_mmap)

Please send your comments to
Ulisses Alonso Camaró <uaca@i.hate.spam.alumni.uv.es>
Johann Baudy <johann.baudy@gnu-log.net>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Why use PACKET_MMAP
Expand All @@ -25,19 +27,24 @@ to capture each packet, it requires two if you want to get packet's
timestamp (like libpcap always does).

In the other hand PACKET_MMAP is very efficient. PACKET_MMAP provides a size
configurable circular buffer mapped in user space. This way reading packets just
needs to wait for them, most of the time there is no need to issue a single
system call. By using a shared buffer between the kernel and the user
also has the benefit of minimizing packet copies.

It's fine to use PACKET_MMAP to improve the performance of the capture process,
but it isn't everything. At least, if you are capturing at high speeds (this
is relative to the cpu speed), you should check if the device driver of your
network interface card supports some sort of interrupt load mitigation or
(even better) if it supports NAPI, also make sure it is enabled.
configurable circular buffer mapped in user space that can be used to either
send or receive packets. This way reading packets just needs to wait for them,
most of the time there is no need to issue a single system call. Concerning
transmission, multiple packets can be sent through one system call to get the
highest bandwidth.
By using a shared buffer between the kernel and the user also has the benefit
of minimizing packet copies.

It's fine to use PACKET_MMAP to improve the performance of the capture and
transmission process, but it isn't everything. At least, if you are capturing
at high speeds (this is relative to the cpu speed), you should check if the
device driver of your network interface card supports some sort of interrupt
load mitigation or (even better) if it supports NAPI, also make sure it is
enabled. For transmission, check the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) used and
supported by devices of your network.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ How to use CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP
+ How to use CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP to improve capture process
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the user standpoint, you should use the higher level libpcap library, which
Expand All @@ -57,7 +64,7 @@ the low level details or want to improve libpcap by including PACKET_MMAP
support.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ How to use CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP directly
+ How to use CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP directly to improve capture process
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the system calls stand point, the use of PACKET_MMAP involves
Expand All @@ -66,6 +73,7 @@ the following process:

[setup] socket() -------> creation of the capture socket
setsockopt() ---> allocation of the circular buffer (ring)
option: PACKET_RX_RING
mmap() ---------> mapping of the allocated buffer to the
user process

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -96,14 +104,76 @@ Next I will describe PACKET_MMAP settings and it's constraints,
also the mapping of the circular buffer in the user process and
the use of this buffer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ How to use CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP directly to improve transmission process
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmission process is similar to capture as shown below.

[setup] socket() -------> creation of the transmission socket
setsockopt() ---> allocation of the circular buffer (ring)
option: PACKET_TX_RING
bind() ---------> bind transmission socket with a network interface
mmap() ---------> mapping of the allocated buffer to the
user process

[transmission] poll() ---------> wait for free packets (optional)
send() ---------> send all packets that are set as ready in
the ring
The flag MSG_DONTWAIT can be used to return
before end of transfer.

[shutdown] close() --------> destruction of the transmission socket and
deallocation of all associated resources.

Binding the socket to your network interface is mandatory (with zero copy) to
know the header size of frames used in the circular buffer.

As capture, each frame contains two parts:

--------------------
| struct tpacket_hdr | Header. It contains the status of
| | of this frame
|--------------------|
| data buffer |
. . Data that will be sent over the network interface.
. .
--------------------

bind() associates the socket to your network interface thanks to
sll_ifindex parameter of struct sockaddr_ll.

Initialization example:

struct sockaddr_ll my_addr;
struct ifreq s_ifr;
...

strncpy (s_ifr.ifr_name, "eth0", sizeof(s_ifr.ifr_name));

/* get interface index of eth0 */
ioctl(this->socket, SIOCGIFINDEX, &s_ifr);

/* fill sockaddr_ll struct to prepare binding */
my_addr.sll_family = AF_PACKET;
my_addr.sll_protocol = ETH_P_ALL;
my_addr.sll_ifindex = s_ifr.ifr_ifindex;

/* bind socket to eth0 */
bind(this->socket, (struct sockaddr *)&my_addr, sizeof(struct sockaddr_ll));

A complete tutorial is available at: http://wiki.gnu-log.net/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ PACKET_MMAP settings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


To setup PACKET_MMAP from user level code is done with a call like

- Capture process
setsockopt(fd, SOL_PACKET, PACKET_RX_RING, (void *) &req, sizeof(req))
- Transmission process
setsockopt(fd, SOL_PACKET, PACKET_TX_RING, (void *) &req, sizeof(req))

The most significant argument in the previous call is the req parameter,
this parameter must to have the following structure:
Expand All @@ -117,11 +187,11 @@ this parameter must to have the following structure:
};

This structure is defined in /usr/include/linux/if_packet.h and establishes a
circular buffer (ring) of unswappable memory mapped in the capture process.
circular buffer (ring) of unswappable memory.
Being mapped in the capture process allows reading the captured frames and
related meta-information like timestamps without requiring a system call.

Captured frames are grouped in blocks. Each block is a physically contiguous
Frames are grouped in blocks. Each block is a physically contiguous
region of memory and holds tp_block_size/tp_frame_size frames. The total number
of blocks is tp_block_nr. Note that tp_frame_nr is a redundant parameter because

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -336,6 +406,7 @@ struct tpacket_hdr). If this field is 0 means that the frame is ready
to be used for the kernel, If not, there is a frame the user can read
and the following flags apply:

+++ Capture process:
from include/linux/if_packet.h

#define TP_STATUS_COPY 2
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -391,6 +462,37 @@ packets are in the ring:
It doesn't incur in a race condition to first check the status value and
then poll for frames.


++ Transmission process
Those defines are also used for transmission:

#define TP_STATUS_AVAILABLE 0 // Frame is available
#define TP_STATUS_SEND_REQUEST 1 // Frame will be sent on next send()
#define TP_STATUS_SENDING 2 // Frame is currently in transmission
#define TP_STATUS_WRONG_FORMAT 4 // Frame format is not correct

First, the kernel initializes all frames to TP_STATUS_AVAILABLE. To send a
packet, the user fills a data buffer of an available frame, sets tp_len to
current data buffer size and sets its status field to TP_STATUS_SEND_REQUEST.
This can be done on multiple frames. Once the user is ready to transmit, it
calls send(). Then all buffers with status equal to TP_STATUS_SEND_REQUEST are
forwarded to the network device. The kernel updates each status of sent
frames with TP_STATUS_SENDING until the end of transfer.
At the end of each transfer, buffer status returns to TP_STATUS_AVAILABLE.

header->tp_len = in_i_size;
header->tp_status = TP_STATUS_SEND_REQUEST;
retval = send(this->socket, NULL, 0, 0);

The user can also use poll() to check if a buffer is available:
(status == TP_STATUS_SENDING)

struct pollfd pfd;
pfd.fd = fd;
pfd.revents = 0;
pfd.events = POLLOUT;
retval = poll(&pfd, 1, timeout);

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ THANKS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expand Down
20 changes: 15 additions & 5 deletions include/linux/if_packet.h
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ struct sockaddr_ll
#define PACKET_VERSION 10
#define PACKET_HDRLEN 11
#define PACKET_RESERVE 12
#define PACKET_TX_RING 13
#define PACKET_LOSS 14

struct tpacket_stats
{
Expand All @@ -63,14 +65,22 @@ struct tpacket_auxdata
__u16 tp_vlan_tci;
};

/* Rx ring - header status */
#define TP_STATUS_KERNEL 0x0
#define TP_STATUS_USER 0x1
#define TP_STATUS_COPY 0x2
#define TP_STATUS_LOSING 0x4
#define TP_STATUS_CSUMNOTREADY 0x8

/* Tx ring - header status */
#define TP_STATUS_AVAILABLE 0x0
#define TP_STATUS_SEND_REQUEST 0x1
#define TP_STATUS_SENDING 0x2
#define TP_STATUS_WRONG_FORMAT 0x4

struct tpacket_hdr
{
unsigned long tp_status;
#define TP_STATUS_KERNEL 0
#define TP_STATUS_USER 1
#define TP_STATUS_COPY 2
#define TP_STATUS_LOSING 4
#define TP_STATUS_CSUMNOTREADY 8
unsigned int tp_len;
unsigned int tp_snaplen;
unsigned short tp_mac;
Expand Down
3 changes: 3 additions & 0 deletions include/linux/skbuff.h
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ struct skb_shared_info {
#ifdef CONFIG_HAS_DMA
dma_addr_t dma_maps[MAX_SKB_FRAGS + 1];
#endif
/* Intermediate layers must ensure that destructor_arg
* remains valid until skb destructor */
void * destructor_arg;
};

/* We divide dataref into two halves. The higher 16 bits hold references
Expand Down
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