NVIDIA has a number of Linux kernel patches on the way to the Linux 6.19 kernel in preparing for 1.6 Tb/s networking on NVIDIA-Mellanox hardware.
Queued last week within the RDMA tree’s “for-next” Git branch is this patch for the NVIDIA-Mellanox MLX5 driver to add a defintion for the 1600Gbps link mode. The 1600 Gbps link mode is making use of eight lanes at 200 Gbps per lane.
Over in the networking subsystem’s net-next Git branch was this merge landing this week adding the 1600 Gbps / 1.6Tb/s link mode support for the NVIDIA Mellanox code and other common networking adjustments. This work from NVIDIA includes adding 1600 Gbps mode support to the ethtool tooling, wires up the Mellanox MLX5E driver to advertise and handle the 1600 Gbps mode via the eight lanes at 200 Gbps, and extends bonding 802.3ad to accept and use 1600 Gbps links.
With this code for the Linux 6.19 kernel, ethtool should operate properly and advertise 1600 Gbps modes and MLX5 device preparations. With the code in net-next for Linux 6.19, the patch cover letter notes that NVIDIA has been testing the bring-up using simulated MLX5 hardware for now. This doesn’t come too much as a surprise with NVIDIA for months now having been talking up 1.6 Tb/s networking for AI in the data center and other next-generation needs. But in any case good seeing this 1.6 Tb/s preparations on their way to the mainline Linux kernel.
These 1.6 Tb/s networking patches are in the “-next” trees and thus should be merged for mainline Linux 6.19 when the merge window opens in early December. Linux 6.19 stable is tracking for a February debut.
