xref: /linux/Documentation/networking/devlink/index.rst (revision 5d2d4a9f603a47403395408f64b1261ca61f6d50)
1Linux Devlink Documentation
2===========================
3
4devlink is an API to expose device information and resources not directly
5related to any device class, such as chip-wide/switch-ASIC-wide configuration.
6
7Locking
8-------
9
10Driver facing APIs are currently transitioning to allow more explicit
11locking. Drivers can use the existing ``devlink_*`` set of APIs, or
12new APIs prefixed by ``devl_*``. The older APIs handle all the locking
13in devlink core, but don't allow registration of most sub-objects once
14the main devlink object is itself registered. The newer ``devl_*`` APIs assume
15the devlink instance lock is already held. Drivers can take the instance
16lock by calling ``devl_lock()``. It is also held all callbacks of devlink
17netlink commands.
18
19Drivers are encouraged to use the devlink instance lock for their own needs.
20
21Drivers need to be cautious when taking devlink instance lock and
22taking RTNL lock at the same time. Devlink instance lock needs to be taken
23first, only after that RTNL lock could be taken.
24
25Nested instances
26----------------
27
28Some objects, like linecards or port functions, could have another
29devlink instances created underneath. In that case, drivers should make
30sure to respect following rules:
31
32 - Lock ordering should be maintained. If driver needs to take instance
33   lock of both nested and parent instances at the same time, devlink
34   instance lock of the parent instance should be taken first, only then
35   instance lock of the nested instance could be taken.
36 - Driver should use object-specific helpers to setup the
37   nested relationship:
38
39   - ``devl_nested_devlink_set()`` - called to setup devlink -> nested
40     devlink relationship (could be user for multiple nested instances.
41   - ``devl_port_fn_devlink_set()`` - called to setup port function ->
42     nested devlink relationship.
43   - ``devlink_linecard_nested_dl_set()`` - called to setup linecard ->
44     nested devlink relationship.
45
46The nested devlink info is exposed to the userspace over object-specific
47attributes of devlink netlink.
48
49Interface documentation
50-----------------------
51
52The following pages describe various interfaces available through devlink in
53general.
54
55.. toctree::
56   :maxdepth: 1
57
58   devlink-dpipe
59   devlink-health
60   devlink-info
61   devlink-flash
62   devlink-params
63   devlink-port
64   devlink-region
65   devlink-resource
66   devlink-reload
67   devlink-selftests
68   devlink-trap
69   devlink-linecard
70
71Driver-specific documentation
72-----------------------------
73
74Each driver that implements ``devlink`` is expected to document what
75parameters, info versions, and other features it supports.
76
77.. toctree::
78   :maxdepth: 1
79
80   bnxt
81   etas_es58x
82   hns3
83   i40e
84   ionic
85   ice
86   mlx4
87   mlx5
88   mlxsw
89   mv88e6xxx
90   netdevsim
91   nfp
92   qed
93   ti-cpsw-switch
94   am65-nuss-cpsw-switch
95   prestera
96   iosm
97   octeontx2
98   sfc
99