RE: [EXT] Re: [PATCH net-next 0/2] qed*: SmartAN query support

[Sudarsana Reddy Kalluru <skalluru@marvell.com>]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jakub Kicinski [mailto:jakub.kicinski@netronome.com]
>Sent: 08 February 2019 01:24
>To: Sudarsana Reddy Kalluru <skalluru@marvell.com>
>Cc: davem@davemloft.net; netdev@vger.kernel.org; Ariel Elior
><aelior@marvell.com>; Michal Kalderon <mkalderon@marvell.com>
>Subject: [EXT] Re: [PATCH net-next 0/2] qed*: SmartAN query support
>
>External Email
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>On Thu, 7 Feb 2019 06:20:10 -0800, Sudarsana Reddy Kalluru wrote:
>> SmartAN feature detects the peer/cable capabilities and establishes
>> the link in the best possible configuration.
>
>It sounds familiar, I need to check with FW team, but I think we may be doing
>a similar thing, and adding a common API rather than ethtool flag would be
>preferable.
>
>Could you please share a little bit more detail?  What are the configurations
>this would choose between?

Jakub,
  Following doc provides detailed information on this feature. We simply need a flag to display whether the feature is enabled in the hardware or not, hence adding it to "ethtool --show-priv-flags".
https://www.cavium.com/Dell/Documents/Converged/TB_Establishing_Adaptive_Links_with_SmartAN_Dell.pdf
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When an administrator first plugs a device (discrete optical module or Active Optical Cable assembly or DAC) into the Cavium FastLinQ adapter SFP/QSFP interface, the Cavium SmartAN technology reads the device type (discrete optics or AOC or DAC), what its speed rating is, special optics data (such as what FEC mode is required or if it is multi-speed capable), DAC CA-x type, and DAC length.
Armed with this information, the FastLinQ adapter attempts each possible mode (supported by that device) until it secures a link with the connected link partner (switch), without input from the end user.
****

Thanks,
Sudarsana