Re: [storm] Removing iSCSI Markers?

["Mallikarjun Chadalapaka" <[e-mail]>]

I believe out of order placement continues to be critical for efficient
RNIC/DDP implementations, and markers play a role there.

Having said that, IMHO, that is not exactly the question we should tackle on
this thread.

We should focus on these two iSCSI-centric questions: 

1) Are there implementations out there that implement iSCSI Markers *as
defined by RFC 3720*? (Asgeir may have answered this question as "yes", but
he referenced an RNIC so I am not sure if he's referring to the MPA-version
of markers or iSCSI key-driven markers)

2) If "yes" to #1, if we drop iSCSI Markers in the new Consolidated draft,
would that cause problems to any "applications" - i.e. iSCSI and SCSI stacks
in either commercial O/S or proprietary embedded implementations?


If the answer to the second question is "No", we can go ahead and drop it
from the iSCSI Consolidated draft, independent of MPA/DDP/RDMAP.

Thanks.

Mallikarjun






From: [e-mail] [mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf Of
Mark S. Edwards
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 9:22 AM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [storm] Removing iSCSI Markers?

Asgeir,

Yes, I do understand and remember all the arguments.  Indeed, I remember one
of Randy's theoretical presentations positing that a marker aware 10GB
offload NIC might only require as little as 2K onboard buffering RAM.

The point is, that at least for iSCSI the technology that arrived seems to
marginalised the need for anyone to implement markers.  Given the fact that
running code creates IETF consensus we have an opportunity at this time to
remove unnecessary complications, markers are a candidate for being made
optional or even being removed completely.

Personally I would be happy to see them removed.  My original note on this
topic was to try to be a good citizen by asking anyone who might be
affected, or know someone who would be affected, to speak up.

Mark.


At 16:28 30/03/2010, Asgeir Eiriksson wrote:

Paul, Mark
 
The main selling point for markers is that they enable out or order
placement
(on receive) while preserving in order completions and markers therefore
have the
potential of decreasing buffering requirements in RNIC and to a less extent
in
iSCSI HBA.
 
'Asgeir 
 
________________________________________
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:49:11 +0100
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [storm] Removing iSCSI Markers?

Paul,

That's pretty much my recollection, too.

One of those things that was thought to be a reasonable solution to a
foreseeable change in the technology.  In the end, the technology found a
different solution.

They were fascinating presentations, though.

Mark.

At 15:22 30/03/2010, Paul Koning wrote:
Thanks Asgeir.
 
As I recall, the original idea behind markers is to make it possible to
build 10G HBAs that can run at wire speed, which was believed to be
impossible otherwise.
 
The subsequent record indicates that this was in fact not the case; 10G HBAs
are feasible and have been built without resorting to markers.  There is no
other reason for using markers.  So if the one reason that they were thought
to be needed in fact turned out not to be real, the obvious thing to do is
to remove the unused complications from the spec.
 
I suppose one could argue that, placed in an appendix and “optional to
implement” they do no harm.  That’s a fair point.  If there is still a
chance that they will turn out to be needed in the future we may want to go
that way.  I personally would bet against that chance.
 
                paul 
 
From: Asgeir Eiriksson [ mailto:[e-mail]] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 9:24 AM
To: Paul Koning; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]
Subject: RE: [storm] Removing iSCSI Markers?
 
Hello Paul,
 
The Chelsio RNIC do support the marker feature, but as far as I know the
feature
has never been used in the field, and it isn't supported by all RNIC
implementations. 
 
I periodically ask our AE and developers about this feature and so far the
answer
is that no one uses it, and no one is asking for it (4 years of data at this
point).
 
Regards,
 
Asgeir Eiriksson
CTO
Chelsio Communications Inc.
 
> Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:01:49 -0400
> From: [e-mail]
> To: [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]
> Subject: Re: [storm] Removing iSCSI Markers?
> 
> I sure would like markers to go away. Rumors of their use are somewhat
> interesting, but substantiated data would be more so.
> 
> paul
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [e-mail] [ mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf
> > Of Mallikarjun Chadalapaka
> > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 8:33 PM
> > To: 'Mark S. Edwards'; [e-mail]
> > Subject: [storm] Removing iSCSI Markers?
> > 
> > Just to clarify...
> > 
> > > On another removal topic, I seem to recall that Mallikarjun also
> said
> > > that he was removing markers.
> > 
> > I had only said that it's one of the items I had heard prior requests
> > on
> > (that it be removed). Thanks for initiating the list discussion
> > though!
> > 
> > > but I do wonder if this will affect any HBA implementations ?
> > 
> > Good question, I don't know. HBA vendors, especially iSCSI/iSER/RNIC
> > "roto-tilled" implementations, please chime in.
> > 
> > 
> > Mallikarjun
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: [e-mail] [ mailto:[e-mail]] On
> > Behalf Of
> > Mark
> > > S. Edwards
> > > Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 6:56 AM
> > > To: [e-mail]
> > > Subject: Re: [storm] Draft minutes from Anaheim
> > >
> > > Regarding the feature removal discussion, can I add SLP to the list
> ?
> > >
> > > The RFC 3721 states
> > >
> > > "iSCSI equipment that
> > > need discovery functions beyond SendTargets should at least
> > > implement SLP, and then consider iSNS when extended discovery
> > > management capabilities are required such as in larger
> storage
> > > networks. It should be noted that since iSNS will support
> > SLP,
> > > iSNS can be used to help manage the discovery information
> > returned
> > > by SLP."
> > >
> > > The implication is that targets and initiators should expect to find
> > > support for SLP before considering iSNS.
> > >
> > > I remember our first iSCSI appliance and we spent ages trying to get
> > > SLP working because it the above wording effectively made it
> > > mandatory. SLP turned out to be a complete bust and was effectively
> > > killed off when Microsoft refused to support it in their initiator
> > > and in their target logo tests.
> > >
> > > The result is that today I doubt you could find a target or
> initiator
> > > out there supporting SLP.
> > >
> > > For anybody that does still implement SLP we could change the
> wording
> > > for SLP a little to remove the implied hierarchy, or just admit that
> > > running code has created IETF consensus.
> > >
> > >
> > > On another removal topic, I seem to recall that Mallikarjun also
> said
> > > that he was removing markers. I don't particularly object to this
> > > but I do wonder if this will affect any HBA implementations ?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Mark.
> > >
> > >
> > > At 06:59 27/03/2010, [e-mail] wrote:
> > > >Draft minutes are attached - please comment, correct, etc.
> > > >
> > > >Also, in the absence of objection on this mailing list, decisions
> > > >recorded in the minutes are considered to be the rough consensus of
> > > >this WG, *except* that two issues were identified as sufficiently
> > > >important to discuss separately on the list (see separate
> messages):
> > > > - Text negotiation key for new iSCSI features (discussion
> > > > in progress)
> > > > - Features to remove from iSCSI (discussion to be started)
> > > >
> > > >Many thanks to Craig Carlson for taking notes during the meeting.
> > > >
> > > >Thanks,
> > > >--David
> > > >----------------------------------------------------
> > > >David L. Black, Distinguished Engineer
> > > >EMC Corporation, 176 South St., Hopkinton, MA 01748
> > > >[phone] FAX: [phone]
> > > >[e-mail] Mobile: [phone]
> > > >----------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >_______________________________________________
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> > > >[e-mail]
> > > > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/storm
> > >
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> > > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/storm
> > 
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