Intel Infrastructure Data Path Function (IDPF) Ethernet and IPU adapters
Intel's modern data-center networking interface used by the IPU E2000/E2100 infrastructure processing units and the E830 Ethernet controller line. It speaks a virtio-style control protocol so a single driver works across current and future Intel server NICs and SmartNIC-class IPUs sold for cloud and enterprise infrastructure.
recommendation
It should stay in the kernel because it is one of Intel's flagship current data-center networking drivers, with the E830 controller launched in February 2025 and IPU products like the E2100 actively shipping. Upstream activity is healthy: a November 2025 net-next patch extends the driver to a new PCI programming interface for future hardware, and an April 2026 fix for an XDP soft-reset crash shows ongoing bug-fix maintenance.
repository signals
sources
- cateee.net
LKDDb shows CONFIG_IDPF in mainline kernels 6.7+ and lists PCI IDs 8086:1452/145c plus the IDPF PCI programming-interface class, indicating an active, current upstream driver rather than legacy-only support.
- spinics.net
A November 3, 2025 net-next patch extends idpf to the new IDPF PCI programming interface for future hardware, explicitly saying current hardware uses 0x1452/0x145C and that the patch makes the driver forward/backward compatible; it was tested on Intel IPU E2000 and newer hardware.
- spinics.net
An April 14, 2026 net patch fixes an idpf XDP soft-reset crash, showing active upstream bug-fix traffic very recently.
- intel.com
Intel lists the E830 controller as Launched on February 24, 2025, showing relevant Intel Ethernet hardware is still sold new in 2025.
- intel.com
Intel markets current IPU products including the IPU Adapter E2100, indicating present-day deployment relevance in cloud/enterprise infrastructure.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Local exec_command read drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_main.c and confirmed MODULE_DESCRIPTION names this as the Intel Infrastructure Data Path Function driver; local idpf_devids.h shows PF/VF IDs 1452/145C. Lore MCP was unavailable and shell lei was missing, so lore-style evidence was gathered via web.search_query against netdev archives (spinics mirrors): I found recent 2025 feature-enablement and 2026 bug-fix patches, but no removal/deprecation thread. Intel product pages obtained via web.search_query show contemporary E830 and IPU products, so this is a current datacenter/networking driver with ongoing upstream maintenance and no natural replacement driver.