1IBDM-IBNL-FILE(1) IB DATA MODEL PACKAGE IBDM-IBNL-FILE(1)
2
6 ibnl - a generic IB netlist format
7
9 IBDM topology file ibdm-topo-file provide means to describe the IB fab‐
10 ric using a set of predefined systems. A system definition is provided
11 in a single file in IBNL format that describes the internal InfiniBand
12 connectivity of the system in terms of boards and devices. When IBDM
13 starts it parses all the available system definition files before it
14 handles the topology file. The files are located in the following
15 directory relative to the installation prefix: <pre‐
16 fix>/lib/ibdm1.0/ibnl.
17 This man page describes the IBNL file format used to define an arbi‐
19 trary IB system internal IB connectivity. It outlines the main concepts
20 used by the file, provides details for how to write such a file and
21 provides a formal definition of the file syntax in BNF like format
22 (YACC/Bison readable).
23
25 The described file format for defining generic system IB connectivity
26 uses the following terminology:
27 NODE
29 The instantiation of an IB device may it be a switch or a channel
30 adapter
31 SUB-SYSTEM
33 The instantiation of a board or module in a system
34 SYSTEM
36 A definition of a board or a module
37 TOPSYSTEM
39 The top most system defined in the given file
40 SUB-SYSTEM MODIFIER
42 Many systems allow multiple variations of their subsystem such as a
43 12X version of a leaf board in a MTS9600. The modifier is a suffix
44 to the board name. The IBNL format supports assigning multiple
45 names to the same board.
46
48 The exact file format is provided in section 4. This section only pro‐
49 vides extra information regarding the specific semantics of various
50 sections.
51 The IBNL file is line sensitive as it requires different sections to
53 start on a new line. The file is broken into several SYSTEM (optional)
54 and one TOPSYSTEM sections. Each has one or more names.
55 Connections are defined inside the SYSTEM/TOPSYSTEM section only and
57 thus might be of two types:
58 1. Between any node or sub-system to other node or sub-system
60 2. From any node or sub-system to a connector of the system.
61 NOTE-1: The top system can define ports that might be redundant and not
63 connected to any lower level board connector. In these cases the ports
64 are simply omitted from the resulting system. This feature enables
65 defining the front panel ports of a 12X/4X such that if a 12X leaf is
66 selected only the 12X front panel ports are used.
67 NOTE-2: Port width and speed provided at the lowest level have prece‐
69 dence over definitions provided at upper levels of the hierarchy.
70
72 The following procedure should be followed in order to provide a new
73 system IBNL:
74 a) Name the file after the system name: <any sys name (no spa‐
76 ces)>.ibnl
77 b) Define a SYSTEM section for each board included in the system
79 c) The port names of the boards are just strings, we use the simple
81 format of Pn where N is just a serial number but you can pick any
82 name you want. Just make sure it is unique.
83 d) When different flavors of the boards exists like when you have a 4x
85 and 12x option for a board name the optional boards with a modifier
86 postfix. An example for such system that supports a LEAF board of
87 12x and 4x types would be to define two SYSTEMS:
88 SYSTEM LEAF,LEAF:4x,LEAF:4X
90 ...
92 SYSTEM LEAF:12x,LEAF:12X
94 ...
96 NOTE-3: The instantiations of the LEAF boards in another board
98 or the top system need not specify the postfix and are being
99 decided upon only when the topology file is being parsed. The
100 "SYSTEM LEAF" with no postfix will be used by default. To con‐
101 tinue the example here is how the LEAFs are instantiated in the
102 top system:
103 TOPSYSTEM MyIbSystem
105 LEAF leaf1
107 ...
109 LEAF leaf2
111 ...
113 The actual 4x or 12x version of the LEAF board can then be
115 specified in the topology file CFG section to select the right
116 combination of optional boards in the system. An example will
117 be:
118 MyIbSystem N001 CFG: leaf2=12x
120 In this case leaf1 will be 4x as no special modifier is
122 defined for it (and LEAF is by default a 4x leaf). Leaf2
123 will be 12x as defined in the CFG section.
124 e) Special considerations should be made to design the top
126 system section when several optional board types exist. Top
127 system section might include multiple definitions for front
128 panel plugs like P1-4x and P1-12x (yes these are just names
129 that should follow the writing on the front or back pan‐
130 els). As the different flavors of the boards are not
131 required to define the same names for their ports including
132 a 12x port might leave some of the top level connections
133 dangling (not connected) and thus the front panel ports of
134 the other flavor will be removed from the final system def‐
135 inition. As an example let us consider a simple board LEAF
136 with 3 4x port flavor and one 12x port flavors. We recom‐
137 mend connecting it in the top level using the following
138 scheme:
139 SYSTEM LEAF:4x
141 NODE U1
143 1 -4x-> 4XP1
145 2 -4x-> 4XP2
147 3 -4x-> 4XP3
149 ...
151 SYSTEM LEAF:12x
153 NODE U1
155 1 -12x-> 12XP1
157 ...
159 TOPSYSTEM myIbSystem
161 SUBSYSTEM LEAF leaf1
163 4XP1 -> L1/P1
165 4XP2 -> L1/P2
167 4XP3 -> L1/P3
169 12XP1 -> L1/P1-12x
171 f) Place the file in the <prefix>/lib/IBDM/ibdm1.0/ibnl
173 directory
174 g) Check the new file syntax by placing it in the ibnl
176 directory as described above, creating a simple topol‐
177 ogy (ibdm-topo-file file with one such system and run‐
178 ning ibdmtr utility to parse it tracing a simple path
179 through it.
180
182 INT ::= ([1-9][0-9]*⎪0) ;
183 WIDTH ::= (4x⎪8x⎪12x) ;
185 SPEED ::= (2.5G⎪5G⎪10G) ;
187 NODETYPE ::= (SW⎪CA⎪HCA) ;
189 NAME ::= ([\[\]\\\*/A-Za-z0-9_.:%@~]+) ;
191 NL: LINE ⎪ NL LINE;
193 ONL: ⎪ NL;
195 ibnl: ONL systems topsystem;
197 systems: ⎪ systems system ;
199 sub_inst_attributes: ⎪ sub_inst_attributes sub_inst_attribute NL;
201 sub_inst_attribute: NAME '=' NAME '=' NAME ⎪ NAME '=' NAME '=' INT ⎪
203 NAME '=' NAME ;
204 topsystem: TOPSYSTEM system_names NL sub_inst_attributes insts ;
206 system: SYSTEM system_names NL insts ;
208 system_names: system_name ⎪ system_names ',' system_name ;
210 system_name: NAME ;
212 insts: ⎪ insts node ⎪ insts subsystem ;
214 node: node_header NL node_connections ;
216 node_header: NODE NODETYPE INT NAME NAME ;
218 node_connections: ⎪ node_connections node_connection NL ;
220 node_connection: node_to_node_link ⎪ node_to_port_link ;
222 node_to_node_link: INT '-' WIDTH '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME ⎪ INT '-' WIDTH
224 '-' '>' NAME INT ⎪ INT '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME INT ⎪ INT '-' '>' NAME
225 INT ;
226 node_to_port_link: INT '-' WIDTH '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME ⎪ INT '-' WIDTH
228 '-' '>' NAME ⎪ INT '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME ⎪ INT '-' '>' NAME ;
229 subsystem: subsystem_header NL subsystem_connections ;
231 subsystem_header: SUBSYSTEM NAME NAME ;
233 subsystem_connections: ⎪ subsystem_connections subsystem_connection NL
235 ;
236 subsystem_connection: subsystem_to_subsystem_link ⎪ subsys‐
238 tem_to_port_link ;
239 subsystem_to_subsystem_link: NAME '-' WIDTH '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME NAME
241 ⎪ NAME '-' WIDTH '-' '>' NAME NAME ⎪ NAME '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME NAME ⎪
242 NAME '-' '>' NAME NAME ;
243 subsystem_to_port_link: NAME '-' WIDTH '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME ⎪ NAME
245 '-' WIDTH '-' '>' NAME ⎪ NAME '-' SPEED '-' '>' NAME ⎪ NAME '-' '>'
246 NAME ;
247
249 Eitan Zahavi, Mellanox Technologies LTD, eitan@mellanox.co.il
250IBDM 1.0 2008-06-16 IBDM-IBNL-FILE(1)