Re: [Etherboot-developers] [RFC] Multicast reception....

[Marty C. <ma...@et...>]

On Fri, 31 May 2002 23:55:36 -0600 Eric W. Biederman
<ebi...@ln...> wrote:
>Transmitting multicast packets is trivial and I have completed the
>implemetation in 10 lines of code.  Receiving multicast packets is
>more interesting.

This might somewhat more complicated than it first appears.  Although one
can make a trivial change at the "kernel" level, every driver may have to
be changed in order to accomodate this mode of operation.  I seem to
recall specifically turning off multicast reception in a number of drivers.

Some of the older cards we now support may not even reliably be able to
function in this mode.  Then there's the testing of cards in this new
mode.  Retransmits and -DCONGESTED may need to be revisted as well.

Although it sounds like a really cool thing, I advise caution, lots of
testing, maybe even a revival of the odd-numbered-release branch (maybe
re-initialized to current production state first or something) to find
out how well multicast will work.  We also need people who are willing to
test it in busy networks.

So, my first reaction is "go for it", but carefully ;)

Marty

-- 
    Try: http://rom-o-matic.net/ to make Etherboot images instantly.

   Name: Marty Connor
US Mail: Entity Cyber, Inc.; P.O. Box 391827; 
         Cambridge, MA 02139; USA
  Voice: (617) 491-6935; Fax: (617) 491-7046 
  Email: ma...@et...
    Web: http://www.etherboot.org/