Simple Forward VNF
NVIDIA DOCA Simple Forward VNF Application Guide
This document provides a Simple Forward implementation on top of NVIDIA® BlueField® DPU.
Simple forward is a forwarding application that takes either VXLAN, GRE, or GTP traffic from a single RX port and transmits it on a single TX port.
For every packet received on an RX queue on a given port, DOCA Simple Forward checks the packet's key, which consists of a 5-tuple. If it finds that the packet matches an existing flow, then it does not create a new one. Otherwise, a new flow is created with a FORWARDING component. Finally, the packet is forwarded to the TX queue of the egress port if "rx-only" mode is not set. Refer to Arg Parser DOCA Flags for more.
The FORWARDING component type depends on the flags delivered when running the application. For example, if the hairpinq flag is provided, then the FORWARDING component would be hairpin. Otherwise, it would be RSS'd to software, and hence every VXLAN, GTP, or GRE packet would be received on RX queues.
Simple forward should be run with dual ports. By using a traffic generator, the RX port receives the VXLAN, GRE, or GTP packets and forwarding forwards them back to the traffic generator.
Simple forward first initializes DPDK, after which the application handles the incoming packets.
The following diagram illustrates the initialization process.
![initialization-process-illustration.png](https://docscontent.nvidia.com/dims4/default/0a324fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/955x152+0+0/resize/955x152!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk3-prod-nvidia-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdita%2F0000018a-666d-d88c-afbe-ff6f6fe50000%2Fdoca%2Farchive%2Fdoca-v1.5.1%2Fsimple-forward-vnf%2Fgraphics%2Finitialization-process-illustration.png)
-
Init_DPDK
– EAL init, parse argument from command line and register signal. - Start port –
mbuf_create
,dev_configure
, rx/tx/hairpin queue setup and start the port. -
Simple_fwd INIT
– create flow tables, build default forward pipes.
The following diagram illustrates how to process the packet.
![packet-processing-illustration.png](https://docscontent.nvidia.com/dims4/default/aa0ad9b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1100x314+0+0/resize/1100x314!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk3-prod-nvidia-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdita%2F0000018a-666d-d88c-afbe-ff6f6fe50000%2Fdoca%2Farchive%2Fdoca-v1.5.1%2Fsimple-forward-vnf%2Fgraphics%2Fpacket-processing-illustration.png)
- Based on the packet's info, find the key values (e.g. src/dst IP, src/dst port, etc).
- Traverse the inner flow tables, check if the keys exist or not.
- If yes, update inner counter
- If no, a new flow table is added to the DPU
- Forward the packet to the other port.
This application leverages the DOCA Flow Library.
- Parse application argument.
- Initialize arg parser resources and register DOCA general parameters.
doca_argp_init();
- Register DOCA general flags.
register_simple_fwd_params();
- Register application flags.
doca_argp_start();
- Parse DPDK flags and invoke handler for calling the
rte_eal_init()
function. - Parse app flags.
- Parse DPDK flags and invoke handler for calling the
- Initialize arg parser resources and register DOCA general parameters.
- DPDK initialization.
dpdk_init();
Calls
rte_eal_init()
to initialize EAL resources with the provided EAL flags. - DPDK port initialization and start.
dpdk_queues_and_ports_init();
- Initialize DPDK ports.
- Create mbuf pool using
rte_pktmbuf_pool_create
- Driver initialization – use
rte_eth_dev_configure
to configure the number of queues - Rx/Tx queue initialization – use
rte_eth_rx_queue_setup
andrte_eth_tx_queue_setup
to initialize the queues - Rx hairpin queue initialization – use
rte_eth_rx_hairpin_queue_setup
to initialize the queues - Start the port using
rte_eth_dev_start
- Simple forward initialization.
simple_fwd_init();
-
simple_fwd_create_ins
- create flow tables usingsimple_fwd_ft_create
-
simple_fwd_init_ports_and_pipes
– initialize DOCA port usingsimple_fwd_init_doca_port
and build default pipes for each port.
-
- Main loop.
simple_fwd_process_pkts();
- Receive packets using
rte_eth_rx_burst
in a loop - Process packets using
simple_fwd_process_offload
- Transmit the packets on the other port by calling
rte_eth_tx_burst
. Or free the packet mbuf ifrx_only
is set totrue
.
- Receive packets using
- Process packets.
simple_fwd_process_offload();
- Parse the packet's
rte_mbuf
usingsimple_fwd_pkt_info
. - Handle the packet using
simple_fwd_handle_packet
. If the packet's key does not match the existed the flow entry, create a new flow entry and PIPE usingsimple_fwd_handle_new_flow
. Otherwise, increase the total packet's counter.
- Parse the packet's
- Simple forward destroy.
simple_fwd_destroy();
Simple forward closes port and cleans the flow resources.
- DPDK ports and queues destruction.
dpdk_queues_and_ports_fini();
- DPDK finish.
dpdk_fini();
Calls
rte_eal_destroy()
to destroy initialized EAL resources. - Arg parser destroy.
doca_argp_destroy();
- Free DPDK resources by call
rte_eal_cleanup()
function.
- Free DPDK resources by call
- Refer to the following documents:
- NVIDIA DOCA Installation Guide for Linux for details on how to install BlueField-related software.
- NVIDIA DOCA Troubleshooting Guide for any issue you may encounter with the installation, compilation, or execution of DOCA applications.
- NVIDIA DOCA Applications Overview for additional compilation instructions and development tips of DOCA applications.
- FLEX profile number should be manually set to 3 on the system for the application to build the GRE, Standard VXLAN and GRE pipes.
- Set FLEX profile number to 3 from the DPU.
sudo mlxconfig -d <pcie_address> s FLEX_PARSER_PROFILE_ENABLE=3
- Reset the firmware from the host side by power cycling.
ipmitool power cycle
Note:Resetting the firmware can be done from the DPU as well. For more information, please refer to step 3.b of section "Upgrading Firmware" of the NVIDIA DOCA Installation Guide for Linux.
- Set FLEX profile number to 3 from the DPU.
- The simple forward binary is located under /opt/mellanox/doca/applications/simple_fwd_vnf/bin/doca_simple_fwd_vnf. To build all the applications together, run:
cd /opt/mellanox/doca/applications/ meson build ninja -C build
- To build only the simple forward application:
- Edit the following flags in
/opt/mellanox/doca/applications/meson_options.txt
:- Set
enable_all_applications
tofalse
- Set
enable_simple_fwd_vnf
totrue
- Set
- Run the commands in step 2.
Note:
doca_simple_fwd_vnf
will be created under./build/simple_fwd_vnf/src/
.
Application usage:
Usage: doca_simple_forward_vnf [DPDK Flags] -- [DOCA Flags] [Program Flags] DOCA Flags: -h, --help Print a help synopsis -v, --version Print program version information -l, --log-level Set the log level for the program <CRITICAL=20, ERROR=30, WARNING=40, INFO=50, DEBUG=60> Program Flags: -t, --stats-timer <time> Set interval to dump stats information -q, --nr-queues <num> Set queues number -r, --rx-only Set rx only -o, --hw-offload Set hw offload -hq, --hairpinq Set forwarding to hairpin queue -a, --age-thread Start thread do aging
Note:For additional information on available flags for DPDK, use
-h
before the--
separator:/opt/mellanox/doca/applications/simple_fwd_vnf/bin/doca_simple_fwd_vnf -h
Note:For additional information on the application, use -h after the -- separator:
/opt/mellanox/doca/applications/simple_fwd_vnf/bin/doca_simple_fwd_vnf -- -h
- Edit the following flags in
- Running the application on BlueField:
- Pre-run setup: The simple forward example is based on DPDK libraries. Therefore, the user is required to provide DPDK flags, and allocate huge pages.
sudo echo 2048 > /sys/kernel/mm/hugepages/hugepages-2048kB/nr_hugepages
- CLI example for running the app:
/opt/mellanox/doca/applications/simple_fwd_vnf/bin/doca_simple_fwd_vnf -a auxiliary:mlx5_core.sf.4 -a auxiliary:mlx5_core.sf.5 -- -l 4
Note:The flag
-a auxiliary:mlx5_core.sf.4 -a auxiliary:mlx5_core.sf.5
is mandatory for proper usage of the application. Modifying this flag results unexpected behavior as only 2 ports are supported. The SF number is arbitrary and configurable.Note:SFs must be enabled according to Scalable Function Setup Guide. Before creating SFs on a specific physical port, it is important to verify the encap mode on the respective PF FDB. The default mode is basic. To check the encap mode, run:
cat /sys/class/net/p0/compat/devlink/encap
In this case, disable encap on the PF FDB before creating the SFs by running:/opt/mellanox/iproute2/sbin/devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:03:00.0 mode legacy /opt/mellanox/iproute2/sbin/devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:03:00.1 mode legacy echo none > /sys/class/net/p0/compat/devlink/encap echo none > /sys/class/net/p1/compat/devlink/encap /opt/mellanox/iproute2/sbin/devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:03:00.0 mode switchdev /opt/mellanox/iproute2/sbin/devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:03:00.1 mode switchdev
Note that if the encap mode is set to
basic
then the application fails upon initialization.
- Pre-run setup: The simple forward example is based on DPDK libraries. Therefore, the user is required to provide DPDK flags, and allocate huge pages.
- Running the application on the host, CLI example:
/opt/mellanox/doca/applications/simple_fwd_vnf/bin/doca_simple_fwd_vnf -a 04:00.3 -a 04:00.4 -- -l 60
Note:Refer to section "Running DOCA Application on Host" in NVIDIA DOCA Virtual Functions User Guide.
- To run
doca_simple_fwd_vnf
using a JSON file:doca_simple_fwd_vnf --json [json_file]
cd /opt/mellanox/doca/applications/simple_fwd_vnf/bin ./doca_simple_fwd_vnf --json simple_fwd_params.json
Refer to NVIDIA DOCA Arg Parser User Guide for more information.
Flag Type | Short Flag | Long Flag/JSON Key | Description | JSON Content |
---|---|---|---|---|
DPDK Flags | a | devices | Add a PCIe device into the list of devices to probe. |
|
General Flags | l | log-level | Set the log level for the application:
|
|
v | version | Print program version information. | N/A | |
h | help | Print a help synopsis. | N/A | |
Program Flags | t | stats-timer | Set interval to dump stats information. |
|
q | nr-queues | Set queues number. |
|
|
r | rx-only | Set RX only. When set, the packets will not be sent to the TX queues. |
|
|
o | hw-offload | Set HW offload of the RXP engine to use. |
|
|
hq | hairpinq | Set forwarding to hairpin queue. |
|
|
a | age-thread | Start a dedicated thread that handles the aged flows. |
|
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