From owner-freebsd-net@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jul 12 18:34:39 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-net@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-net@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8B2AD16A4EE for ; Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:34:39 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from julian@elischer.org) Received: from outJ.internet-mail-service.net (outJ.internet-mail-service.net [216.240.47.233]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 754F213C4E3 for ; Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:34:39 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from julian@elischer.org) Received: from mx0.idiom.com (HELO idiom.com) (216.240.32.160) by out.internet-mail-service.net (qpsmtpd/0.32) with ESMTP; Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:34:39 -0700 Received: from julian-mac.elischer.org (nat.ironport.com [63.251.108.100]) by idiom.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 84058125AE3; Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:34:38 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <4696744F.20508@elischer.org> Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:34:55 -0700 From: Julian Elischer User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.4 (Macintosh/20070604) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Tom Judge References: <4694940D.9050408@tomjudge.com> <200707111230.24975.josh@tcbug.org> <46956A44.3000304@tomjudge.com> <46958A55.4020704@elischer.org> <4695F4FD.2010102@tomjudge.com> In-Reply-To: <4695F4FD.2010102@tomjudge.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Josh Paetzel , Paul Schmehl , freebsd-net@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Question about bce driver X-BeenThere: freebsd-net@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Networking and TCP/IP with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:34:39 -0000 Tom Judge wrote: > Julian Elischer wrote: >> Tom Judge wrote: >>> Josh Paetzel wrote: >>>> On Wednesday 11 July 2007, Tom Judge wrote: >>>>> Hi Paul, >>>>> >>>>> From the testing that I have been doing for the last few months >>>>> the driver in 6.2 is stable if you are not using jumbo frames and >>>>> there is a light-moderate network load. >>>>> >>>>> However if you want to use Jumbo frames the driver is very >>>>> unstable. I posted a patch against 6.2 which should fix some load >>>>> based issues in the driver with standard frame sizes. >>>>> >>>>> Tom >>>> >>>> Paul, I was never able to solve the link up/link down problems with >>>> the driver....I was using the drivers from STABLE for a while, and >>>> without jumbo frames everything worked somewhat ok most of the >>>> time....the ultimate solution was to just get the intel PCI-X card >>>> and stop using the broadcoms. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> We have basically come to the same conclusion today, unfortunately >>> this is 35 machines, but if it makes them stable at least we can use >>> them. >> >> I'm not seeing any problems on our 2950s running 6.1 plus some >> backpatches. >> > I am very surprised at that. The driver in 6.1 was un-usable in our > environment. note "plus some backpatches". Doug Ambrisko moved us up to somewhere around 6.2 > 6.2 makes it usable with standard frames under moderate > load. However use jumbo frames and it all falls apart, and unfortunately > the network these systems are plugged into is GigE only with a 8192 > Jumbo mtu. > > I have been trying to get some help with the problem for over a month > now without luck. Firstly I was asked to enable some debugging in the > driver, this just uncovered what seems to be memory management bug in > the driver. A patch was suggest for this but it did not solve the > problem. Next I noticed the NetBSD guys had we written the offending > parts of code which I then ported to FreeBSD driver. Still no luck, > although the problem was not as bad as before. Then I took a look at > the OpenBSD driver, and it seems that they just completely disabled > jumbo frames as they are just so ropey. > > If a patch was released today that fixed the problem then I may be able > to fully test the driver and not have to replace the NIC's. However I am > running out of time with deployment deadlines and I need this kit in > production by the latest mid next week. > > Tom