Intel® Ethernet Adapters and Devices User Guide

ID Date Version Classification
705831 11/28/2024 Public

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Dynamic Device Personalization (DDP)

Devices based on the Intel® Ethernet 800 Series require a Dynamic Device Personalization (DDP) package file to enable advanced features (such as dynamic tunneling, Intel Ethernet Flow Director, RSS, and ADQ).

DDP allows you to change the packet processing pipeline of a device by applying a profile package to the device at runtime. Profiles can be used to, for example, add support for new protocols, change existing protocols, or change default settings. DDP profiles can also be rolled back without rebooting the system.

The DDP package loads during device initialization or driver runtime, depending on the operating system. The driver checks to see if the DDP package is present and compatible. If this file exists, the driver will load it into the device. If not, the driver will go into Safe Mode where it will use the configuration contained in the device’s NVM.

Safe Mode disables advanced and performance features, and supports only basic traffic and minimal functionality, such as updating the NVM or downloading a new driver or DDP package. For more information, see Safe Mode.

A general-purpose, default DDP package is automatically installed with all supported Intel Ethernet 800 Series drivers on supported operating systems. Additional DDP packages are available to address needs for specific market segments or targeted solutions.

Refer to the following for more information on configuring DDP:

Note:
  • If you are using DPDK, see the DPDK documentation at https://www.dpdk.org/ for installation instructions and more information.

  • In ESXi:

    • Support for DDP packages for specific market segments requires the following:

      • Driver: icen 1.9.1.x or higher

      • Tool: intnet 1.8.3.x or higher

    • Use esxcli to load and unload DDP packages for specific market segments during driver runtime.

    • A package update is not persistent between device resets or system reboots.