| license | Apache-2.0 |
| name | doca-flow-dpa-perf |
| description | Use this skill when the user is invoking doca_flow_dpa_perf on DPA-capable hardware (ConnectX-7 minimum supported, ConnectX-8 recommended, or BlueField-3) to measure rule update / disable rates on the DPA-offloaded DOCA Flow path — picking the active / passive device split, choosing workload-shape axes (burst, queue, completion threshold, workers, hash pipe algo, PSL tables), or reading Kops/sec iteration stats and the optional self-test. Trigger even when the user does not explicitly mention "doca_flow_dpa_perf" or "DPA Provider" — typical implicit phrasings include "how fast can the DPA program path-selector entries", "baseline rule-update rate on ConnectX-8", "tool reports zero ops on my BlueField", "self-test sentinel never shows on tcpdump", or "is my BlueField-2 DPA-capable". Refuse and route elsewhere for the host / DPU-CPU Flow path (doca-flow-perf), Flow pipeline tuning (doca-flow-tune), writing doca-flow / doca-dpa applications, or DOCA install — those belong to other skills.
|
| metadata | {"kind":"tool"} |
| compatibility | Requires DOCA SDK installed at /opt/mellanox/doca on Linux (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or RHEL/SLES) with a DPA-capable device attached — ConnectX-7 as the minimum supported ConnectX generation, ConnectX-8 recommended, or BlueField-3 (BlueField-2 and earlier ConnectX are unsupported). VNF Flow mode required; PF or VF only (SFs are not supported on the DPA path). Reads `pkg-config doca-flow` and the shipped `doca_flow_dpa_perf` binary plus its README on the user's install.
|
DOCA Flow DPA Perf (doca_flow_dpa_perf)
Where to start: This is a tool skill for invoking
doca_flow_dpa_perf, the DPA-accelerated Flow performance tool.
Open TASKS.md and start at
## configure to confirm DPA-capable
hardware + VNF Flow mode + the active / passive device split, then
## run for the smoke-before-bulk flow with a
small operation count before any sweep, then
## test for the eval-loop overlay that gates
defensible Kops/sec numbers. Open CAPABILITIES.md
when the question is what doca_flow_dpa_perf can measure,
what the DPA preconditions are, which devices it runs on,
or how to interpret update / disable / self-test output without
fooling yourself. If DOCA is not installed yet, route to
doca-setup first; if the device is
not DPA-capable (no ConnectX-7+ or BlueField-3+) then this tool is
the wrong surface and the right answer is
doca-flow-perf.
Example questions this skill answers well
The CLASSES of doca_flow_dpa_perf questions this skill is built
to answer, each with one worked example. The class is the
load-bearing piece; the worked example is one instance.
- "Should I measure the DPA-offloaded Flow path or the
host / DPU-CPU Flow path for this question?" — worked
example: "my workload programs path-selector entries via
DOCA Flow; do I baseline with
doca_flow_dpa_perf or with
doca_flow_perf?". Answered by the DPA-vs-host boundary
in
CAPABILITIES.md ## Capabilities and modes
and the device-preconditions table.
- "What does the DPA-offload actually accelerate, and what
doesn't it change?" — worked example: "if I move my Flow
rule update path to the DPA, what changes in the data plane
for the packets themselves?". Answered by the DPA-Provider
scope in
CAPABILITIES.md ## Capabilities and modes.
- "What hardware do I need to use this tool at all?" —
worked example: "is my BlueField-2 DPA-capable?". Answered
by the device-preconditions table in
(BlueField-3 yes, BlueField-2 no; ConnectX-7 minimum
supported, ConnectX-8 recommended, and later generations
supported per the public guide and the
shipped README on the user's install).
