[Bridge] [PATCH net-next 0/4] Allow bridge to function in non-promisc mode

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:45:40 -0400
Vlad Yasevich <vyasevic at redhat.com> wrote:

> On 03/13/2013 11:39 AM, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> > On Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:12:29 -0400
> > Vlad Yasevich <vyasevic at redhat.com> wrote:
> >
> >> On 03/13/2013 02:22 AM, "Oleg A. Arkhangelsky" wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> 13.03.2013, 05:45, "Vlad Yasevich" <vyasevic at redhat.com>:
> >>>
> >>>> The series adds an ability for the bridge to function in non-promiscuous mode.
> >>>
> >>> What is the practical applications for such setup? In other words,
> >>> in which cases I would want to put bridge into non-promiscuous
> >>> mode and specify some uplink ports?
> >>>
> >>
> >> On of the applications would be when bridge is an edge device servicing
> >> a VM deployment.  Each of the VMs knows the mac address that the guest
> >> has and may program that mac onto the uplinks.
> >
> > Why wouldn't that environment just use macvlan?
> > Is it because changing libvirt is harder than changing the kernel?
> >
> 
> No, because macvlan has a drawback that it doesn't easily let guests 
> talk to the host.  Bridge is still most commonly used for just that reason.
> 
> -vlad

Maybe fixing that with a flag to macvlan would be easier?