Subject: Re: [PATCH 04/10] AOE: use rcu to find network device

From: Ed Cashin <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:07:35 -0500

Thanks for the responses.

On Thu Nov 12 12:11:12 EST 2009, [email-masked] wrote:
...
> Since it is emulating a block device, why not propgate error back
> up the stack like a disk that's offline.

The lack of local interfaces to use for AoE might be temporary.  For
example, the admin might be loading a new network driver, or a new
link might go online through which the AoE target can be reached.

If AoE command packets are not sent or resent but instead are
effectively dropped while there are no local interfaces through which
to send, then the AoE commands will timeout through the normal
mechanisms, at which time the error will be signaled to the block
layer.  It will be like normal unreliable ethernet transport.

In the common case, I think that's going to be the expected behavior,
but a printk would probably still be helpful in case the admin doesn't
realize why the AoE device is timing out.

-- 
  Ed Cashin <[email-masked]>
  http://www.coraid.com/
  http://noserose.net/e/