ixgbe: Does ethtool -m (DOM/eeprom reads) block datapath or cause traffic delay?

[tvaknin]

Hi,

We are using ixgbe driver version 5.19.9 (firmware 0x800000cb) on Intel NICs with SFP.
We observed occasional latency spikes when running ethtool -m ethX to read the module
DOM/eeprom data.

1. Does ethtool -m on ixgbe trigger a synchronous I2C/EEPROM read that can
   temporarily block the NIC datapath or cause packet delay?
2. Are there known driver or firmware versions where this was fixed or improved?
3. Is there a recommended way to read DOM data safely without disrupting traffic instead of ethtool for SFP monitoring?

Any confirmation or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tal

[nfinkel-harmonicinc]

+1