OpenSolaris

1. Project: Nemo: A Framework for High-Performance Networking
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OpenSolaris Project: Nemo: A Framework for High-Performance Networking

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Networking
OS/Net (ON)
Performance

Introduction

This high-performance device driver framework has VLAN support and 802.3ad Link Aggregation support for off-the-shelf device drivers. The following drivers are currently based on Nemo (a.k.a. GLDv3) framework: bge, e1000g, xge, nge, rge, ixgb. Using Nemo drivers on Solaris provides the following benefits:

• Greatly improved performance due to:
  • Direct function calls and packet chaining between IP and device driver
  • IP controlling the NIC and dynamically blanking interrupts
  • Lower CPU utilization
  • Use of advanced NIC features such as stateless offloading
• VLAN support
• 802.3ad Link Aggregation support, including LACP

Documents

• Nemo Design Document
• Important note to IHVs about API stability

The Code

Nemo has been part of OpenSolaris since day 1. The source for its main components can be found at the following locations in the OpenSolaris ON source tree:

• usr/src/uts/common/io/mac: MAC layer
• usr/src/uts/common/io/dls: Data-Link Services
• usr/src/uts/common/io/dld: Data-Link Driver (DLPI)
• usr/src/uts/common/io/aggr: Link aggregation
• usr/src/uts/common/io/bge: Driver for NICs based on Broadcom
• usr/src/cmd/dladm: CLI admin tool
• usr/src/lib/libdladm: Data-Link management library
• usr/src/lib/liblaadm: Link aggregations management library
• usr/src/lib/libdlpi: DLPI library

Current and Futures

Here are some of the projects we are actively working on, or planning to tackle in the future.

• Large frames for link aggregations: allows large ethernet frames on link aggregations.
• Nemo Unification: allows legacy DLPI drivers to take advantage of Nemo features
• Nemo MAC-Type plugin architecture: allows Nemo to support different MAC types
• Improved binary compatibility
• Continue to support new offload capabilities
• Hardware classification needed for Crossbow
• Extending dladm(1M) to support WiFi

News

"Solaris OS Networking -- The Magic Revealed" | Paragon Pinnacles | 02/06/2006

Paper Offers Both a Historical Perspective and a Look Ahead

Sun updates Solaris Express | CNET News.com | 06/21/2005

The new Solaris version also includes support for Nemo, a reworked standard for the driver software that controls networking devices. Nemo is faster...

Solaris Express 6/2005 Released | OSNews.com | 06/21/2005

Solaris Express 6/2005 (a.k.a. Nevada Build 15) was posted today, providing a host of improvements including...the "Nemo" (GLDv3) network driver framework...

Blogs

sunay - Crossbow - Network Virtualization Architecture Comes to Life

Dec 14, 4:07 PM

Crossbow - Network Virtualization Architecture Comes to Life Crossbow - Network Virtualization Architecture Comes to Life December 5th, 2008 was a joyous occasion and a humbling one at the same time. ...

darrin - Management 101 - Reduction in Force

Nov 12, 9:56 PM

“Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.” - Frank Barron Recently a colleague made a comment to the effect that " We didn't layoff the person, we just ...

darrin - Photography - Head Shot

Nov 10, 12:54 PM

I haven't figured out why I like this picture of Damien Farnham. In some sense it it is classical head shot in terms of composition but then again not. It was taken while I was fooling around with my ...

darrin - Photography - Lion Cub

Nov 10, 12:33 PM

Photo of a lion cub was taken at the Wild Animal Park park in San Diego. The picture was taken with a Nikon D300 and Nikkor 18-200mm AF VR lens. Minor cropping was done to improve the composition ...

darrin - Management 101 - Employee Morale

Nov 10, 9:44 AM

As a manager it is far too easy to focus on "meeting the numbers" -- finishing up that critical presentation, making sure every engineer is delivering on their deadlines, overcoming the never ending ...