[ofw] Current recommended APIs for kernel and user

[J***@Dell.com]

Hi,

We are working on a project that involves both kernel and user mode code communicating over Mellanox adapters (RoCE mode) on Windows Server 2012. We do need to interoperate with Linux. This is for a commercial datacenter product.

I see there are multiple APIs that can be used, and am wondering what the OFW team is currently recommending for new code?

It seems like the options include: NDv1, NDv2, IBAL, WinVerbs, libibverbs. Compatibility with preexisting Linux code is useful, but having maximum performance likely is more important. It seems like NDv1/NDv2 is officially supported by Microsoft in user mode, and there currently is no officially supported Microsoft kernel RDMA API.

I also see the release notes for the upcoming OFW release say it doesn't support Server 2012 or RoCE, and would like to know if there is a target date for supporting these.

If this is a FAQ could someone please point me at the FAQ page.

Thanks,
Jan Bottorff

[Hefty, Sean]

I don't know if anyone responded to this, but in case not...

Post by J***@Dell.com
We are working on a project that involves both kernel and user mode code
communicating over Mellanox adapters (RoCE mode) on Windows Server 2012. We do
need to interoperate with Linux. This is for a commercial datacenter product.
I see there are multiple APIs that can be used, and am wondering what the OFW
team is currently recommending for new code?
It seems like the options include: NDv1, NDv2, IBAL, WinVerbs, libibverbs.
Compatibility with preexisting Linux code is useful, but having maximum
performance likely is more important. It seems like NDv1/NDv2 is officially
supported by Microsoft in user mode, and there currently is no officially
supported Microsoft kernel RDMA API.

ND is the official API defined by MS. I believe that there's a kernel ND API in Server 2012, but someone from MS will need to confirm.

RoCE support comes directly from Mellanox, so you would need to ask them what APIs they will support.

In addition to the APIs you list, there is a userspace version of the Linux libibverbs available on windows as part of WinOFED.

- Sean