Netmap and in-kernel IPFW interactions!

[h bagade]

On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 3:36 PM, Ivan Voras <ivoras at freebsd.org> wrote:

> On 20/10/2013 09:38, h bagade wrote:
>
> > I am somehow confused how it is possible that netmap-aware tools use
> netmap
> > datapath and others still use the regular driver! Isn't that the changed
> > NIC driver either send the packets to userspace(in case of netmap) or to
> > the kernel(as usual)?
>
> I think you are misunderstanding what netmap does. It is not a type of a
> "driver", it has almost nothing to do with the way regular network
> packets are processed in the kernel. It is an API which allow specially
> created userspace program to send and receive raw packeges to/from the
> network card, bypassing the normal TCP/IP processing. It does not do
> anything other that that (e.g. it doesn't magically speed up network
> traffic with regular programs, etc.).
>
> Thank you very much Ivan. Your explanation clarifies me and I find that I
had a wrong expectation from netmap.