add -f tag to config reload

[Honigeintopf]

Description

When the swss is broken the config reload is not being run. The -f tag skips the check for it.

[Gerrit91]

Shouldn't this be an optional behavior? Maybe sometimes people do not want to force this. 😅

[Honigeintopf]

One could argue that a config reload should always restart, even if the switch is broken, since it’s not a failure if the switch isn’t working anyway.

[vknabel]

if I recall this correctly, a force config reload might result in some network disruption.
But correct me if I'm wrong

[Gerrit91]

If I remember correctly a reload always interrupts the network. But maybe you do not want a restart if the SWSS is broken because the current state requires investigation before forcing a configuration change.

[Honigeintopf]

Yes a config reload disrupts network, it disrupts it with or without the -f .

[Honigeintopf]

PR is still in draft, using this for certain testing functionalities right now.
When finished I will put it out.

[Honigeintopf]

If I remember correctly a reload always interrupts the network. But maybe you do not want a restart if the SWSS is broken because the current state requires investigation before forcing a configuration change.

Also the problem is I think with config reload, it "restarts" it and isn't returning an error, even if the swss is broken.
I could be wrong tho.
That's the main reason I'm adding the -f tag.

[iljarotar]

Have you tried a force reload when the swss is down? I can't imagine a force reload fixing the situation where a regular reload is not possible. Usually it means there's something wrong with the config, which will instantly lead to a crash again after reload (and even after reboot).