xref: /freebsd/share/man/man9/tcp_functions.9 (revision 924226fba12cc9a228c73b956e1b7fa24c60b055)
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28.Dd March 10, 2017
29.Dt TCP_FUNCTIONS 9
30.Os
31.Sh NAME
32.Nm tcp_functions
33.Nd Alternate TCP Stack Framework
34.Sh SYNOPSIS
35.In netinet/tcp.h
36.In netinet/tcp_var.h
37.Ft int
38.Fn register_tcp_functions "struct tcp_function_block *blk" "int wait"
39.Ft int
40.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_name "struct tcp_function_block *blk" \
41"const char *name" "int wait"
42.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_names "struct tcp_function_block *blk" \
43"int wait" "const char *names[]" "int *num_names"
44.Ft int
45.Fn deregister_tcp_functions "struct tcp_function_block *blk"
46.Sh DESCRIPTION
47The
48.Nm
49framework allows a kernel developer to implement alternate TCP stacks.
50The alternate stacks can be compiled in the kernel or can be implemented in
51loadable kernel modules.
52This functionality is intended to encourage experimentation with the TCP stack
53and to allow alternate behaviors to be deployed for different TCP connections
54on a single system.
55.Pp
56A system administrator can set a system default stack.
57By default, all TCP connections will use the system default stack.
58Additionally, users can specify a particular stack to use on a per-connection
59basis.
60(See
61.Xr tcp 4
62for details on setting the system default stack, or selecting a specific stack
63for a given connection.)
64.Pp
65This man page treats "TCP stacks" as synonymous with "function blocks".
66This is intentional.
67A "TCP stack" is a collection of functions that implement a set of behavior.
68Therefore, an alternate "function block" defines an alternate "TCP stack".
69.Pp
70The
71.Fn register_tcp_functions ,
72.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_name ,
73and
74.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_names
75functions request that the system add a specified function block
76and register it for use with a given name.
77Modules may register the same function block multiple times with different
78names.
79However, names must be globally unique among all registered function blocks.
80Also, modules may not ever modify the contents of the function block (including
81the name) after it has been registered, unless the module first successfully
82de-registers the function block.
83.Pp
84The
85.Fn register_tcp_functions
86function requests that the system register the function block with the name
87defined in the function block's
88.Va tfb_tcp_block_name
89field.
90Note that this is the only one of the three registration functions that
91automatically registers the function block using the name defined in the
92function block's
93.Va tfb_tcp_block_name
94field.
95If a module uses one of the other registration functions, it may request that
96the system register the function block using the name defined in the
97function block's
98.Va tfb_tcp_block_name
99field by explicitly providing that name.
100.Pp
101The
102.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_name
103function requests that the system register the function block with the name
104provided in the
105.Fa name
106argument.
107.Pp
108The
109.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_names
110function requests that the system register the function block with all the
111names provided in the
112.Fa names
113argument.
114The
115.Fa num_names
116argument provides a pointer to the number of names.
117This function will either succeed in registering all of the names in the array,
118or none of the names in the array.
119On failure, the
120.Fa num_names
121argument is updated with the index number of the entry in the
122.Fa names
123array which the system was processing when it encountered the error.
124.Pp
125The
126.Fn deregister_tcp_functions
127function requests that the system remove a specified function block from the
128system.
129If this call succeeds, it will completely deregister the function block,
130regardless of the number of names used to register the function block.
131If the call fails because sockets are still using the specified function block,
132the system will mark the function block as being in the process of being
133removed.
134This will prevent additional sockets from using the specified function block.
135However, it will not impact sockets that are already using the function block.
136.Pp
137.Nm
138modules must call one or more of the registration functions during
139initialization and successfully call the
140.Fn deregister_tcp_functions
141function prior to allowing the module to be unloaded.
142.Pp
143The
144.Fa blk
145argument is a pointer to a
146.Vt "struct tcp_function_block" ,
147which is explained below (see
148.Sx Function Block Structure ) .
149The
150.Fa wait
151argument is used as the
152.Fa flags
153argument to
154.Xr malloc 9 ,
155and must be set to one of the valid values defined in that man page.
156.Ss Function Block Structure
157The
158.Fa blk argument is a pointer to a
159.Vt "struct tcp_function_block" ,
160which has the following members:
161.Bd -literal -offset indent
162struct tcp_function_block {
163	char	tfb_tcp_block_name[TCP_FUNCTION_NAME_LEN_MAX];
164	int	(*tfb_tcp_output)(struct tcpcb *);
165	void	(*tfb_tcp_do_segment)(struct mbuf *, struct tcphdr *,
166			    struct socket *, struct tcpcb *,
167			    int, int, uint8_t,
168			    int);
169	int     (*tfb_tcp_ctloutput)(struct socket *so,
170			    struct sockopt *sopt,
171			    struct inpcb *inp, struct tcpcb *tp);
172	/* Optional memory allocation/free routine */
173	void	(*tfb_tcp_fb_init)(struct tcpcb *);
174	void	(*tfb_tcp_fb_fini)(struct tcpcb *, int);
175	/* Optional timers, must define all if you define one */
176	int	(*tfb_tcp_timer_stop_all)(struct tcpcb *);
177	void	(*tfb_tcp_timer_activate)(struct tcpcb *,
178			    uint32_t, u_int);
179	int	(*tfb_tcp_timer_active)(struct tcpcb *, uint32_t);
180	void	(*tfb_tcp_timer_stop)(struct tcpcb *, uint32_t);
181	/* Optional functions */
182	void	(*tfb_tcp_rexmit_tmr)(struct tcpcb *);
183	void	(*tfb_tcp_handoff_ok)(struct tcpcb *);
184	/* System use */
185	volatile uint32_t tfb_refcnt;
186	uint32_t  tfb_flags;
187};
188.Ed
189.Pp
190The
191.Va tfb_tcp_block_name
192field identifies the unique name of the TCP stack, and should be no longer than
193TCP_FUNCTION_NAME_LEN_MAX-1 characters in length.
194.Pp
195The
196.Va tfb_tcp_output ,
197.Va tfb_tcp_do_segment ,
198and
199.Va tfb_tcp_ctloutput
200fields are pointers to functions that perform the equivalent actions
201as the default
202.Fn tcp_output ,
203.Fn tcp_do_segment ,
204and
205.Fn tcp_default_ctloutput
206functions, respectively.
207Each of these function pointers must be non-NULL.
208.Pp
209If a TCP stack needs to initialize data when a socket first selects the TCP
210stack (or, when the socket is first opened), it should set a non-NULL
211pointer in the
212.Va tfb_tcp_fb_init
213field.
214Likewise, if a TCP stack needs to cleanup data when a socket stops using the
215TCP stack (or, when the socket is closed), it should set a non-NULL pointer
216in the
217.Va tfb_tcp_fb_fini
218field.
219.Pp
220If the
221.Va tfb_tcp_fb_fini
222argument is non-NULL, the function to which it points is called when the
223kernel is destroying the TCP control block or when the socket is transitioning
224to use a different TCP stack.
225The function is called with arguments of the TCP control block and an integer
226flag.
227The flag will be zero if the socket is transitioning to use another TCP stack
228or one if the TCP control block is being destroyed.
229.Pp
230If the TCP stack implements additional timers, the TCP stack should set a
231non-NULL pointer in the
232.Va tfb_tcp_timer_stop_all ,
233.Va tfb_tcp_timer_activate ,
234.Va tfb_tcp_timer_active ,
235and
236.Va tfb_tcp_timer_stop
237fields.
238These fields should all be
239.Dv NULL
240or should all contain pointers to functions.
241The
242.Va tfb_tcp_timer_activate ,
243.Va tfb_tcp_timer_active ,
244and
245.Va tfb_tcp_timer_stop
246functions will be called when the
247.Fn tcp_timer_activate ,
248.Fn tcp_timer_active ,
249and
250.Fn tcp_timer_stop
251functions, respectively, are called with a timer type other than the standard
252types.
253The functions defined by the TCP stack have the same semantics (both for
254arguments and return values) as the normal timer functions they supplement.
255.Pp
256Additionally, a stack may define its own actions to take when the retransmit
257timer fires by setting a non-NULL function pointer in the
258.Va tfb_tcp_rexmit_tmr
259field.
260This function is called very early in the process of handling a retransmit
261timer.
262However, care must be taken to ensure the retransmit timer leaves the
263TCP control block in a valid state for the remainder of the retransmit
264timer logic.
265.Pp
266A user may select a new TCP stack before calling
267.Xr connect 2
268or
269.Xr listen 2 .
270Optionally, a TCP stack may also allow a user to begin using the TCP stack for
271a connection that is in a later state by setting a non-NULL function pointer in
272the
273.Va tfb_tcp_handoff_ok
274field.
275If this field is non-NULL and a user attempts to select that TCP stack after
276calling
277.Xr connect 2
278or
279.Xr listen 2
280for that socket, the kernel will call the function pointed to by the
281.Va tfb_tcp_handoff_ok
282field.
283The function should return 0 if the user is allowed to switch the socket to use
284the TCP stack.
285Otherwise, the function should return an error code, which will be returned to
286the user.
287If the
288.Va tfb_tcp_handoff_ok
289field is
290.Dv NULL
291and a user attempts to select the TCP stack after calling
292.Xr connect 2
293or
294.Xr listen 2
295for that socket, the operation will fail and the kernel will return
296.Er EINVAL .
297.Pp
298The
299.Va tfb_refcnt
300and
301.Va tfb_flags
302fields are used by the kernel's TCP code and will be initialized when the
303TCP stack is registered.
304.Ss Requirements for Alternate TCP Stacks
305If the TCP stack needs to store data beyond what is stored in the default
306TCP control block, the TCP stack can initialize its own per-connection storage.
307The
308.Va t_fb_ptr
309field in the
310.Vt "struct tcpcb"
311control block structure has been reserved to hold a pointer to this
312per-connection storage.
313If the TCP stack uses this alternate storage, it should understand that the
314value of the
315.Va t_fb_ptr
316pointer may not be initialized to
317.Dv NULL .
318Therefore, it should use a
319.Va tfb_tcp_fb_init
320function to initialize this field.
321Additionally, it should use a
322.Va tfb_tcp_fb_fini
323function to deallocate storage when the socket is closed.
324.Pp
325It is understood that alternate TCP stacks may keep different sets of data.
326However, in order to ensure that data is available to both the user and the
327rest of the system in a standardized format, alternate TCP stacks must
328update all fields in the TCP control block to the greatest extent practical.
329.Sh RETURN VALUES
330The
331.Fn register_tcp_functions ,
332.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_name ,
333.Fn register_tcp_functions_as_names ,
334and
335.Fn deregister_tcp_functions
336functions return zero on success and non-zero on failure.
337In particular, the
338.Fn deregister_tcp_functions
339will return
340.Er EBUSY
341until no more connections are using the specified TCP stack.
342A module calling
343.Fn deregister_tcp_functions
344must be prepared to wait until all connections have stopped using the
345specified TCP stack.
346.Sh ERRORS
347The
348.Fn register_tcp_functions
349function will fail if:
350.Bl -tag -width Er
351.It Bq Er EINVAL
352Any of the members of the
353.Fa blk
354argument are set incorrectly.
355.It Bq Er ENOMEM
356The function could not allocate memory for its internal data.
357.It Bq Er EALREADY
358A function block is already registered with the same name.
359.El
360The
361.Fn deregister_tcp_functions
362function will fail if:
363.Bl -tag -width Er
364.It Bq Er EPERM
365The
366.Fa blk
367argument references the kernel's compiled-in default function block.
368.It Bq Er EBUSY
369The function block is still in use by one or more sockets, or is defined as
370the current default function block.
371.It Bq Er ENOENT
372The
373.Fa blk
374argument references a function block that is not currently registered.
375.El
376.Sh SEE ALSO
377.Xr connect 2 ,
378.Xr listen 2 ,
379.Xr tcp 4 ,
380.Xr malloc 9
381.Sh HISTORY
382This framework first appeared in
383.Fx 11.0 .
384.Sh AUTHORS
385.An -nosplit
386The
387.Nm
388framework was written by
389.An Randall Stewart Aq Mt rrs@FreeBSD.org .
390.Pp
391This manual page was written by
392.An Jonathan Looney Aq Mt jtl@FreeBSD.org .
393