---
layout: page
title: fi_provider(7)
tagline: Libfabric Programmer's Manual
---
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# NAME

fi_provider \- Fabric Interface Providers

# OVERVIEW

Conceptually, a fabric provider may be viewed as a local hardware NIC
driver, though a provider is not limited by this definition.  The
first component of libfabric is a general purpose framework that is
capable of handling different types of fabric hardware.  All fabric
hardware devices and their software drivers are required to support
this framework.  Devices and the drivers that plug into the libfabric
framework are referred to as fabric providers, or simply providers.

This distribution of libfabric contains the following providers
(although more may be available via run-time plug-ins):

## Core providers

*GNI*
: A provider for the Aries interconnect in Cray XC(TM) systems
  utilizing the user-space *Generic Networking Interface*.  See
  [`fi_gni`(7)](fi_gni.7.html) for more information.

*PSM*
: High-speed InfiniBand networking from Intel.  See
  [`fi_psm`(7)](fi_psm.7.html) for more information.

*Sockets*
: A general purpose provider that can be used on any network that
  supports TCP/UDP sockets.  This provider is not intended to provide
  performance improvements over regular TCP/UDP sockets, but rather to
  allow developers to write, test, and debug application code even on
  platforms that do not have high-speed networking.
  See [`fi_sockets`(7)](fi_sockets.7.html) for more information.

*usNIC*
: Ultra low latency Ethernet networking over Cisco userspace VIC
  adapters.
  See [`fi_usnic`(7)](fi_usnic.7.html) for more information.

*Verbs*
: This provider uses the Linux Verbs API for network transport.
  Application performance is, obviously expected to be similar to that
  of the native Linux Verbs API.  Analogous to the Sockets provider,
  the Verbs provider is intended to enable developers to write, test,
  and debug application code on platforms that only have Linux
  Verbs-based networking.
  See [`fi_verbs`(7)](fi_verbs.7.html) for more information.

*Blue Gene/Q*
: See [`fi_bgq`(7)](fi_bgq.7.html) for more information.

*EFA*
: A provider for the [Amazon EC2 Elastic Fabric Adapter
  (EFA)](https://aws.amazon.com/hpc/efa/), a custom-built OS bypass
  hardware interface for inter-instance communication on EC2.
  See [`fi_efa`(7)](fi_efa.7.html) for more information.

## Utility providers

*RxM*
: The RxM provider (ofi_rxm) is an utility provider that supports RDM
  endpoints emulated over MSG endpoints of a core provider.
  See [`fi_rxm`(7)](fi_rxm.7.html) for more information.

## Special providers

*Hook*
: The hook provider is a special type of provider that can layer over any
  other provider, unless FI_FABRIC_DIRECT is used.  The hook provider is
  always available, but has no impact unless enabled.  When enabled, the
  hook provider will intercept all calls to the underlying core or utility
  provider(s).  The hook provider is useful for capturing performance data
  or providing debugging information, even in release builds of the library.
  See [`fi_hook`(7)](fi_hook.7.html) for more information.

# CORE VERSUS UTILITY PROVIDERS

Core providers implement the libfabric interfaces directly over low-level
hardware and software interfaces.  They are designed to support a
specific class of hardware, and may be limited to supporting a single
NIC.  Core providers often only support libfabric features and interfaces
that map efficiently to their underlying hardware.

Utility providers are distinct from core providers in that they are not
associated with specific classes of devices.  They instead work with
core providers to expand their features, and interact with core providers
through libfabric interfaces internally.  Utility providers are often used
to support a specific endpoint type over a simpler endpoint type.  For
example, the RXD provider implements reliability over unreliable datagram
endpoints. The utility providers will not layer over the sockets provider
unless it is explicitly requested.

Utility providers show up as a component in the core provider's component
list.  See [`fi_fabric`(3)](fi_fabric.3.html).  Utility providers are
enabled automatically for core providers that do not support the feature
set requested by an application.

# PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS

Libfabric provides a general framework for supporting multiple types
of fabric objects and their related interfaces.  Fabric providers have
a large amount of flexibility in selecting which components they are
able and willing to support, based on specific hardware constraints.
Provider developers should refer to docs/provider for information on
functionality supplied by the framework to assist in provider
implementation.  To assist in the development of applications,
libfabric specifies the
following requirements that must be met by any fabric provider, if
requested by an application.

Note that the instantiation of a specific fabric object is subject
to application configuration parameters and need not meet these requirements.

* A fabric provider must support at least one endpoint type.
* All endpoints must support the message queue data transfer
  interface (fi_ops_msg).
* An endpoint that advertises support for a specific endpoint
  capability must support the corresponding data transfer interface.
  * FI_ATOMIC - fi_ops_atomic
  * FI_RMA - fi_ops_rma
  * FI_TAGGED - fi_ops_tagged
* Endpoints must support all transmit and receive operations for any
  data transfer interface that they support.
  * Exception: If an operation is only usable for an operation that
    the provider does not support, and support for that operation is
    conveyed using some other mechanism, the operation may return
    - FI_ENOSYS.  For example, if the provider does not support
    injected data, it can set the attribute inject_size = 0, and fail
    all fi_inject operations.
  * The framework supplies wrappers around the 'msg' operations that
    can be used.  For example, the framework implements the sendv()
    msg operation by calling sendmsg().  Providers may reference the
    general operation, and supply on the sendmsg() implementation.
* Providers must set all operations to an implementation.  Function
  pointers may not be left NULL or uninitialized.  The framework supplies
  empty functions that return -FI_ENOSYS which can be used for this
  purpose.
* Endpoints must support the CM interface as follows:
  * FI_EP_MSG endpoints must support all CM operations.
  * FI_EP_DGRAM endpoints must support CM getname and setname.
  * FI_EP_RDM endpoints must support CM getname and setname.
* Providers that support connectionless endpoints must support all AV
  operations (fi_ops_av).
* Providers that support memory registration, must support all MR operations
  (fi_ops_mr).
* Providers should support both completion queues and counters.
  * If FI_RMA_EVENT is not supported, counter support is limited to local
    events only.
  * Completion queues must support the FI_CQ_FORMAT_CONTEXT and
    FI_CQ_FORMAT_MSG.
  * Providers that support FI_REMOTE_CQ_DATA shall support FI_CQ_FORMAT_DATA.
  * Providers that support FI_TAGGED shall support FI_CQ_FORMAT_TAGGED.
* A provider is expected to be forward compatible, and must be able to
  be compiled against expanded `fi_xxx_ops` structures that define new
  functions added after the provider was written.  Any unknown
  functions must be set to NULL.
* Providers shall document in their man page which features they support,
  and any missing requirements. 

Future versions of libfabric will automatically enable a more complete
set of features for providers that focus their implementation on a
narrow subset of libfabric capabilities.

# LOGGING INTERFACE

Logging is performed using the FI_ERR, FI_LOG, and FI_DEBUG macros.

## DEFINITIONS

```c
#define FI_ERR(prov_name, subsystem, ...)

#define FI_LOG(prov_name, prov, level, subsystem, ...)

#define FI_DEBUG(prov_name, subsystem, ...)
```

## ARGUMENTS
*prov_name*
: String representing the provider name.

*prov*
: Provider context structure.

*level*
: Log level associated with log statement.

*subsystem*
: Subsystem being logged from.

## DESCRIPTION
*FI_ERR*
: Always logged.

*FI_LOG*
: Logged if the intended provider, log level, and subsystem parameters match
  the user supplied values.

*FI_DEBUG*
: Logged if configured with the --enable-debug flag.

# SEE ALSO

[`fi_gni`(7)](fi_gni.7.html),
[`fi_hook`(7)](fi_hook.7.html),
[`fi_psm`(7)](fi_psm.7.html),
[`fi_sockets`(7)](fi_sockets.7.html),
[`fi_usnic`(7)](fi_usnic.7.html),
[`fi_verbs`(7)](fi_verbs.7.html),
[`fi_bgq`(7)](fi_bgq.7.html),
