1.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
2
3=================
4Devlink Line card
5=================
6
7Background
8==========
9
10The ``devlink-linecard`` mechanism is targeted for manipulation of
11line cards that serve as a detachable PHY modules for modular switch
12system. Following operations are provided:
13
14  * Get a list of supported line card types.
15  * Provision of a slot with specific line card type.
16  * Get and monitor of line card state and its change.
17
18Line card according to the type may contain one or more gearboxes
19to mux the lanes with certain speed to multiple ports with lanes
20of different speed. Line card ensures N:M mapping between
21the switch ASIC modules and physical front panel ports.
22
23Overview
24========
25
26Each line card devlink object is created by device driver,
27according to the physical line card slots available on the device.
28
29Similar to splitter cable, where the device might have no way
30of detection of the splitter cable geometry, the device
31might not have a way to detect line card type. For that devices,
32concept of provisioning is introduced. It allows the user to:
33
34  * Provision a line card slot with certain line card type
35
36    - Device driver would instruct the ASIC to prepare all
37      resources accordingly. The device driver would
38      create all instances, namely devlink port and netdevices
39      that reside on the line card, according to the line card type
40  * Manipulate of line card entities even without line card
41    being physically connected or powered-up
42  * Setup splitter cable on line card ports
43
44    - As on the ordinary ports, user may provision a splitter
45      cable of a certain type, without the need to
46      be physically connected to the port
47  * Configure devlink ports and netdevices
48
49Netdevice carrier is decided as follows:
50
51  * Line card is not inserted or powered-down
52
53    - The carrier is always down
54  * Line card is inserted and powered up
55
56    - The carrier is decided as for ordinary port netdevice
57
58Line card state
59===============
60
61The ``devlink-linecard`` mechanism supports the following line card states:
62
63  * ``unprovisioned``: Line card is not provisioned on the slot.
64  * ``unprovisioning``: Line card slot is currently being unprovisioned.
65  * ``provisioning``: Line card slot is currently in a process of being provisioned
66    with a line card type.
67  * ``provisioning_failed``: Provisioning was not successful.
68  * ``provisioned``: Line card slot is provisioned with a type.
69  * ``active``: Line card is powered-up and active.
70
71The following diagram provides a general overview of ``devlink-linecard``
72state transitions::
73
74                                          +-------------------------+
75                                          |                         |
76       +---------------------------------->      unprovisioned      |
77       |                                  |                         |
78       |                                  +--------|-------^--------+
79       |                                           |       |
80       |                                           |       |
81       |                                  +--------v-------|--------+
82       |                                  |                         |
83       |                                  |       provisioning      |
84       |                                  |                         |
85       |                                  +------------|------------+
86       |                                               |
87       |                 +-----------------------------+
88       |                 |                             |
89       |    +------------v------------+   +------------v------------+   +-------------------------+
90       |    |                         |   |                         ---->                         |
91       +-----   provisioning_failed   |   |       provisioned       |   |         active          |
92       |    |                         |   |                         <----                         |
93       |    +------------^------------+   +------------|------------+   +-------------------------+
94       |                 |                             |
95       |                 |                             |
96       |                 |                +------------v------------+
97       |                 |                |                         |
98       |                 |                |     unprovisioning      |
99       |                 |                |                         |
100       |                 |                +------------|------------+
101       |                 |                             |
102       |                 +-----------------------------+
103       |                                               |
104       +-----------------------------------------------+
105
106
107Example usage
108=============
109
110.. code:: shell
111
112    $ devlink lc show [ DEV [ lc LC_INDEX ] ]
113    $ devlink lc set DEV lc LC_INDEX [ { type LC_TYPE | notype } ]
114
115    # Show current line card configuration and status for all slots:
116    $ devlink lc
117
118    # Set slot 8 to be provisioned with type "16x100G":
119    $ devlink lc set pci/0000:01:00.0 lc 8 type 16x100G
120
121    # Set slot 8 to be unprovisioned:
122    $ devlink lc set pci/0000:01:00.0 lc 8 notype
123