xref: /dpdk/doc/guides/tools/dumpcap.rst (revision 29f3465c8a73b9b93aaeb68a32719f292bf06e06)
1..  SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
2    Copyright(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation.
3
4dpdk-dumpcap Application
5========================
6
7The ``dpdk-dumpcap`` tool is a Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK)
8network traffic dump tool.
9The interface is similar to the dumpcap tool in Wireshark.
10It runs as a secondary DPDK process and lets you capture packets
11that are coming into and out of a DPDK primary process.
12The ``dpdk-dumpcap`` writes files in Pcapng packet format.
13
14Without any options set, it will use DPDK to capture traffic
15from the first available DPDK interface
16and write the received raw packet data,
17along with timestamps into a pcapng file.
18
19If the ``-w`` option is not specified, ``dpdk-dumpcap`` writes
20to a newly created file with a name chosen
21based on interface name and timestamp.
22If ``-w`` option is specified, then that file is used.
23
24.. note::
25
26   * The ``dpdk-dumpcap`` tool can only be used in conjunction with a primary
27     application which has the packet capture framework initialized already.
28     In DPDK, only the ``dpdk-testpmd`` is modified to initialize
29     packet capture framework, other applications remain untouched.
30     So, if the ``dpdk-dumpcap`` tool has to be used with any application
31     other than the ``dpdk-testpmd``, user needs to explicitly modify
32     that application to call packet capture framework initialization code.
33     Refer ``app/test-pmd/testpmd.c`` code to see how this is done.
34
35   * The ``dpdk-dumpcap`` tool runs as a DPDK secondary process.
36     It exits when the primary application exits.
37
38
39Running the Application
40-----------------------
41
42To list interfaces available for capture, use ``--list-interfaces``.
43
44To filter packets in style of *tshark*, use the ``-f`` flag.
45
46To capture on multiple interfaces at once, use multiple ``-i`` flags.
47
48
49Example
50-------
51
52.. code-block:: console
53
54   # <build_dir>/app/dpdk-dumpcap --list-interfaces
55   0. 000:00:03.0
56   1. 000:00:03.1
57
58   # <build_dir>/app/dpdk-dumpcap -i 0000:00:03.0 -c 6 -w /tmp/sample.pcapng
59   Packets captured: 6
60   Packets received/dropped on interface '0000:00:03.0' 6/0
61
62   # <build_dir>/app/dpdk-dumpcap -f 'tcp port 80'
63   Packets captured: 6
64   Packets received/dropped on interface '0000:00:03.0' 10/8
65
66
67Limitations
68-----------
69
70The following option of Wireshark ``dumpcap`` is not yet implemented:
71
72   * ``-b|--ring-buffer`` -- more complex file management.
73
74The following options do not make sense in the context of DPDK.
75
76   * ``-C <byte_limit>`` -- it's a kernel thing.
77
78   * ``-t`` -- use a thread per interface.
79
80   * Timestamp type.
81
82   * Link data types. Only EN10MB (Ethernet) is supported.
83
84   * Wireless related options: ``-I|--monitor-mode`` and  ``-k <freq>``
85
86
87.. note::
88
89   * The options to ``dpdk-dumpcap`` are like the Wireshark dumpcap program
90     and are not the same as ``dpdk-pdump`` and other DPDK applications.
91