After all these years, it turns out that the
/proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/*/force_igmp_version
parameter isn't fully implemented.
*Symptom*:
When set force_igmp_version to a value of 2, the kernel should only perform
multicast IGMPv2 operations (IETF rfc2236). An host-initiated Join message
will be sent as a IGMPv2 Join message. But if a IGMPv3 query message is
received, the host responds with a IGMPv3 join message. Per rfc3376 and
rfc2236, a IGMPv2 host should treat a IGMPv3 query as a IGMPv2 query and
respond with an IGMPv2 Join message.
*Consequences*:
This is an issue when a IGMPv3 capable switch is the querier and will only
issue IGMPv3 queries (which double as IGMPv2 querys) and there's an
intermediate switch that is only IGMPv2 capable. The intermediate switch
processes the initial v2 Join, but fails to recognize the IGMPv3 Join responses
to the Query, resulting in a dropped connection when the intermediate v2-only
switch times it out.
*Identifying issue in the kernel source*:
The issue is in this section of code (in net/ipv4/igmp.c), which is called when
an IGMP query is received (from mainline 2.6.36-rc3 gitweb):
...
A IGMPv3 query has a length >= 12 and no sources. This routine will exit after
line 880, setting the general query timer (random timeout between 0 and query
response time). This calls igmp_gq_timer_expire():
...
.. which only sends a v3 response. So if a v3 query is received, the kernel
always sends a v3 response.
IGMP queries happen once every 60 sec (per vlan), so the traffic is low. A
IGMPv3 query *is* a strict superset of a IGMPv2 query, so this patch properly
short circuit's the v3 behaviour.
One issue is that this does not address force_igmp_version=1. Then again, I've
never seen any IGMPv1 multicast equipment in the wild. However there is a lot
of v2-only equipment. If it's necessary to support the IGMPv1 case as well:
837 if (len == 8 || IGMP_V2_SEEN(in_dev) || IGMP_V1_SEEN(in_dev)) {
Signed-off-by: David S. Miller <davem@davemloft.net>
int mark = 0;
- if (len == 8) {
+ if (len == 8 || IGMP_V2_SEEN(in_dev)) {
if (ih->code == 0) {
/* Alas, old v1 router presents here. */