Re: ipv4 and ipv6 stacks for new link layers?

From: Olaf Titz
Date: Sat Feb 24 2007 - 11:27:52 EST


> This is a pity, because it would be so easy to make the both stacks
> totally independent of the actual link layers. It only needs one (or
> two) new function pointer in net_device. This function should do the
> conversion from IPv4/IPv6 address into corresponding hardware
> multicast/broadcast address.

You mean, the link layer drivers should know of IP addressing modes?
Sounds like a layering violation to me. The mapping from IP to MAC
address is (for a good reason) part of the IP specs, not of the
Ethernet, Token Ring etc. specs, so the right place to implement it is
not the network drivers.

Olaf
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