On 09/27/2016 11:43 PM, David Miller wrote: > From: "Guilherme G. Piccoli" <gpicc...@linux.vnet.ibm.com> > Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2016 15:33:54 -0300 > >> The bnx2x driver prints multiple error messages during register dump, >> with "ethtool -d" for example. The driver even warn that many messages >> might be seen during the register dump, but they are harmless. A typical >> kernel log after register dump looks like this: >> >> [9.375] bnx2x: [bnx2x_get_regs:987(net0)]Generating register dump. Might >> trigger harmless GRC timeouts >> [9.439] bnx2x: [bnx2x_attn_int_deasserted3:4342(net0)]LATCHED attention >> 0x04000000 (masked) >> [9.439] bnx2x: [bnx2x_attn_int_deasserted3:4346(net0)]GRC time-out >> 0x010580cd >> [...] >> >> The notation [...] means that some messages were supressed - in our >> tests we saw 78 more "LATCHED attention" and "GRC time-out" messages, >> supressed here. >> >> This patch avoid these messages to be printed on register dump instead >> of just warn they are harmless. >> >> Signed-off-by: Guilherme G. Piccoli <gpicc...@linux.vnet.ibm.com> > > Although "ethtool -d" is really a debugging facility, I still think that > serious care should be placed into arranging what gets dumped in such > a way that such access timeouts and errors are minimized. >
David, thanks for your comment. I confess I didn't understand your statement quite well. You say we shouldn't dump registers that will cause timeouts, that's it? If yes, I guess this is a valid point. We will however loose some debug information (as you mentioned, 'ethtool -d' is a debug facility). Now, since I'm no expert in QLogic adapter hw/fw, I want to ask Yuval/Ariel why those timeouts are hit anyway. Are they completely harmless? In my understanding/opinion, hiding the messages entirely (as this patch does) OR avoid the timeouts by disabling some registers' dump are both better alternatives than the current behavior of the driver. Thanks, Guilherme
