Re: User-space controlled raw ethernet - Is this the way to go?

Hi,

My plan is to create a very simple kernel module that probably uses
direct socket code to perform ethernet frame transmission and reception.

There's something like that, the TUN/TAP interface which provides access
to the raw sockets. This is used e.g. by the former ethereal or by
various IPsec/VPN solutions. Don't know about the most recent
development, though.

Implement minimal ARP and UDP.

Actually this was my first approach. But I really wasn't that happy with
the overhead of the IP and UDP headers.

Have you ever had a look at TCP/UDP/IP header compression? You might
have to look at IPv6 for this... They've been invented for directly
linked devices and you've got the benefit of a standardized solution.

As far as I understand, you're trying to squeeze as much bandwidth as
possible out of the connection? Well, I'm not sure, if the additional
processing power you need for your implementation doesn't "cost" more
than using the existing implementation - as stated elsewhere in this
thread, Linux Networking is fast. In most cases the system periphery
will limit you more. Take a look at cluster computing also, they do face
the same problem and did solve it already.

Bye....

.