Since the initial backport of virtio_net for RHEL 5.3, we have identified a number of fixes required: 1) Fix leaked netdev->refcnt - it can often be impossible to unload the virtio_net driver with rmmod because of a device refcount leak. The bug does not exist upstream because it is in code added as part of the backport. This is quite a serious bug. 2) Support ethtool offload queries - a simple and safe ethtool change needed because of differences between 2.6.18 and upstream. This is useful to people testing different GSO settings. 3) Make use of napi_weight module param - the backport caused the napi_weight module param to be ignored. This is a clear bug - minor but the fix is very safe. 4) Recycle some more rx buffer pages - trivial, safe optimization which will be in 2.6.28. This is a simple performance fix. Each of these fixes are relatively minor and have tested all these patches quite extensively as part of our general testing efforts around RHEL5 virtio drivers.
Created attachment 321158 [details] 1
Created attachment 321159 [details] 2
Created attachment 321160 [details] 3
Created attachment 321161 [details] 4
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux maintenance release. Product Management has requested further review of this request by Red Hat Engineering, for potential inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Update release for currently deployed products. This request is not yet committed for inclusion in an Update release.
in kernel-2.6.18-122.el5 You can download this test kernel from http://people.redhat.com/dzickus/el5
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on therefore solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-0225.html