Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S932332AbWCWGkX (ORCPT ); Thu, 23 Mar 2006 01:40:23 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S932163AbWCWGkX (ORCPT ); Thu, 23 Mar 2006 01:40:23 -0500 Received: from [194.90.237.34] ([194.90.237.34]:37927 "EHLO mtlexch01.mtl.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S932332AbWCWGkX (ORCPT ); Thu, 23 Mar 2006 01:40:23 -0500 Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 08:41:13 +0200 From: "Michael S. Tsirkin" To: "Bryan O'Sullivan" Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, rdreier@cisco.com, greg@kroah.com, openib-general@openib.org Subject: Re: [PATCH 9 of 18] ipath - char devices for diagnostics and lightweight subnet management Message-ID: <20060323064113.GC9841@mellanox.co.il> Reply-To: "Michael S. Tsirkin" References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i X-OriginalArrivalTime: 23 Mar 2006 06:43:06.0593 (UTC) FILETIME=[0AB43510:01C64E45] Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 863 Lines: 18 Quoting r. Bryan O'Sullivan : > The ipath_sma.c file supports a lightweight userspace subnet management > agent (SMA). This is used in deployments (such as HPC clusters) where > a full Infiniband protocol stack is not needed. Could you please explain why is this useful? Users could not care less - they never have to touch an SMA. The "full" Infiniband stack is very lightweight and already includes an SMA, and it already includes ib_umad module which makes it possible to implement subnet management in userspace should you want to. -- Michael S. Tsirkin Staff Engineer, Mellanox Technologies - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/