id	summary	reporter	owner	description	type	status	priority	milestone	component	version	resolution	keywords	cc	field_blocks	field_dependson	field_seealso
675	Implement Xen PV network device driver	Jakub Jermář		"Implement a set of native HelenOS drivers to allow the use of Xen PV network device.

 Details::
  The Xen hypervisor provides [https://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/Xen_Networking#Paravirtualised_Network_Devices paravirtualized (PV) network devices] to fully-virtualized domains (HVM) in order to enable fast and efficient network communications without the overhead of emulating a real network device.

  The new functionality should be achieved via a hierarchy of device drivers that implement the Xen PCI Platform device, !XenBus virtual bus and the Xen netfront device. These drivers should plug themselves into the HelenOS Device Driver Framework (DDF) and (the latter also) to the networking stack, and implement the network interface card interface (NICF) in the Xen netfront specific way.

 What Gains and Benefits will this bring?::
  HelenOS might need a Xen PV network device driver if we want to run it in a Xen-based hosting (e.g. Amazon E2C) and serve some web content (e.g. microkernel.info or even self-host helenos.org) to the public from it.

 Difficulty::
  medium to high

 Required skills::
  A successful applicant will have good skills of programming in the C language and the ability to learn and use HelenOS specific I/O functions. A successful applicant should have a fair understanding of the workings of the networking stack and the DDF and NICF too.

 Documentation::
  * [https://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/PV_on_HVM PV on HVM] Linux PV drivers on HVM
  * [https://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/Xen_Windows_GplPv GPL PV drivers for Windows]
  * [http://www.helenos.org/doc/helnet.pdf HelenOS NICF documentation]
  * [https://archive.fosdem.org/2012/schedule/event/550/113_helenos_dd.pdf Dive into HelenOS Device Drivers]
  * [http://www.helenos.org/wiki/DeviceDrivers Writing Device Drivers for HelenOS]

 Possible mentors::
  HelenOS Core Team, Jakub Jermar
"	enhancement	new	major		helenos/net/other	mainline		xen-netfront, gsoc18				#674