[Xen-devel] [PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter

Andrew Cooper posted 6 patches 6 years ago
[Xen-devel] [PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter
Posted by Andrew Cooper 6 years ago
The sole use of HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is as a non-standard calling convention
for xc_cpuid_apply_policy().  Pass PAE as a regular parameter instead.

Leave a rather better explaination of why only HVM guests have a choice in PAE
setting.

No functional change.

Signed-off-by: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@citrix.com>
---
CC: Ian Jackson <Ian.Jackson@citrix.com>
CC: Wei Liu <wl@xen.org>
CC: Anthony PERARD <anthony.perard@citrix.com>
---
 tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h |  2 +-
 tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c    | 15 +++++----------
 tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c     | 14 +++++++++++++-
 3 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h b/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h
index 311df1ef0f..4eb4f4c2c6 100644
--- a/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h
+++ b/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h
@@ -1807,7 +1807,7 @@ int xc_cpuid_set(xc_interface *xch,
 int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch,
                           uint32_t domid,
                           const uint32_t *featureset,
-                          unsigned int nr_features);
+                          unsigned int nr_features, bool pae);
 int xc_mca_op(xc_interface *xch, struct xen_mc *mc);
 int xc_mca_op_inject_v2(xc_interface *xch, unsigned int flags,
                         xc_cpumap_t cpumap, unsigned int nr_cpus);
diff --git a/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c b/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c
index 2540aa1e1c..4e74a7ed3b 100644
--- a/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c
+++ b/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c
@@ -455,7 +455,8 @@ int xc_cpuid_set(
 }
 
 int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
-                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features)
+                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features,
+                          bool pae)
 {
     int rc;
     xc_dominfo_t di;
@@ -579,8 +580,6 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
     }
     else
     {
-        uint64_t val;
-
         /*
          * Topology for HVM guests is entirely controlled by Xen.  For now, we
          * hardcode APIC_ID = vcpu_id * 2 to give the illusion of no SMT.
@@ -635,14 +634,10 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
         }
 
         /*
-         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function, stashed in
-         * Xen.  Nothing else has ever taken notice of the value.
+         * PAE used to be a parameter passed to this function by
+         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED.  It is now passed normally.
          */
-        rc = xc_hvm_param_get(xch, domid, HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED, &val);
-        if ( rc )
-            goto out;
-
-        p->basic.pae = val;
+        p->basic.pae = pae;
 
         /*
          * These settings are necessary to cause earlier HVM_PARAM_NESTEDHVM /
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c
index 49d3ca5b26..8c49e34125 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c
@@ -416,8 +416,20 @@ void libxl__cpuid_legacy(libxl_ctx *ctx, uint32_t domid,
     libxl_cpuid_policy_list cpuid = info->cpuid;
     int i;
     char *cpuid_res[4];
+    bool pae = true;
+
+    /*
+     * PAE is a Xen-controlled for PV guests (it is the 'p' that causes the
+     * difference between the xen-3.0-x86_32 and xen-3.0-x86_32p ABIs).  It is
+     * mandatory as Xen is running in 64bit mode.
+     *
+     * PVH guests don't have a top-level PAE control, and is treated as
+     * available.
+     */
+    if (info->type == LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_HVM)
+        pae = libxl_defbool_val(info->u.hvm.pae);
 
-    xc_cpuid_apply_policy(ctx->xch, domid, NULL, 0);
+    xc_cpuid_apply_policy(ctx->xch, domid, NULL, 0, pae);
 
     if (!cpuid)
         return;
-- 
2.11.0


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Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter
Posted by Ian Jackson 5 years, 12 months ago
Andrew Cooper writes ("[PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter"):
> The sole use of HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is as a non-standard calling convention
> for xc_cpuid_apply_policy().  Pass PAE as a regular parameter instead.
> 
> Leave a rather better explaination of why only HVM guests have a choice in PAE
> setting.

I am inclined believe you that this is right (since you are evidently
familiar with this whole area and I'm not), but the explanations leave
me confused.

>  int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
> -                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features)
> +                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features,
> +                          bool pae)
>  {
>      int rc;
>      xc_dominfo_t di;
> @@ -579,8 +580,6 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
>      }
>      else
>      {
> -        uint64_t val;
> -
>          /*
>           * Topology for HVM guests is entirely controlled by Xen.  For now, we
>           * hardcode APIC_ID = vcpu_id * 2 to give the illusion of no SMT.
> @@ -635,14 +634,10 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
>          }
>  
>          /*
> -         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function, stashed in
> -         * Xen.  Nothing else has ever taken notice of the value.
> +         * PAE used to be a parameter passed to this function by
> +         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED.  It is now passed normally.

In particular, I don't understand what these comments mean by
"HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function" and "PAE used
to be a parameter passed to this function by HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED".

Maybe this is some loose use of the term "parameter" ?

If you could explain more clearly (ideally, explain the meaning of the
old comment in the commit message, and make the new comment
unambiguous) then that would be great.

Thanks,
Ian.

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Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter
Posted by Andrew Cooper 5 years, 12 months ago
On 11/02/2020 17:47, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Andrew Cooper writes ("[PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter"):
>> The sole use of HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is as a non-standard calling convention
>> for xc_cpuid_apply_policy().  Pass PAE as a regular parameter instead.
>>
>> Leave a rather better explaination of why only HVM guests have a choice in PAE
>> setting.
> I am inclined believe you that this is right (since you are evidently
> familiar with this whole area and I'm not), but the explanations leave
> me confused.
>
>>  int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
>> -                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features)
>> +                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features,
>> +                          bool pae)
>>  {
>>      int rc;
>>      xc_dominfo_t di;
>> @@ -579,8 +580,6 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
>>      }
>>      else
>>      {
>> -        uint64_t val;
>> -
>>          /*
>>           * Topology for HVM guests is entirely controlled by Xen.  For now, we
>>           * hardcode APIC_ID = vcpu_id * 2 to give the illusion of no SMT.
>> @@ -635,14 +634,10 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
>>          }
>>  
>>          /*
>> -         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function, stashed in
>> -         * Xen.  Nothing else has ever taken notice of the value.
>> +         * PAE used to be a parameter passed to this function by
>> +         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED.  It is now passed normally.
> In particular, I don't understand what these comments mean by
> "HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function" and "PAE used
> to be a parameter passed to this function by HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED".
>
> Maybe this is some loose use of the term "parameter" ?
>
> If you could explain more clearly (ideally, explain the meaning of the
> old comment in the commit message, and make the new comment
> unambiguous) then that would be great.

HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED encapsulates a boolean meaning "should I advertise
the PAE feature to the guest?".

It has only ever been used in a way which should have been "bool pae"
passed into xc_cpuid_apply_policy().  This patch tries to do just that.


I think there might be confusion as to which comment the commit message
referred to.

In xc_cpuid_apply_policy(), I want a comment explaining why we have this
weird pae parameter.  It will disappear from the new way of doing CPUID
at boot, but will have to remain for the pre-4.14 compatibility.

The comment I was referring to in the commit message was actually the
libxl comment, explaining why PV and PVH guests don't get a choice to
hide the PAE feature.

~Andrew

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Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter
Posted by Ian Jackson 5 years, 11 months ago
Andrew Cooper writes ("[PATCH 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter"):
> The sole use of HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is as a non-standard calling
> convention for xc_cpuid_apply_policy().  Pass PAE as a regular
> parameter instead.

Following our conversation on irc, I have tried to write an
explanation in my own words of what this commit is doing.

  The value of HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is set by the toolstack.  And the
  only place that reads it is also in the toolstack, in
  xc_cpuid_apply_policy.  Effectively, this hypervisor domain
  parameter is used solely as a way to pass this boolean parameter
  from one part of the toolstack to another.

  This is not sensible.

  Replace its use in xc_cpuid_apply_policy with a plain boolean
  parameter, passed directly by the one (in-tree) caller.
  The now-redundant code to set the value in the hypervisor will be
  deleted in the next patch.

> Leave a rather better explaination of why only HVM guests have a
> choice in PAE setting.

I approve of this part of the commit message.

> No functional change.

I would write

   No overall functional change.  The new code fior calculating the
   `pae' value (in libxl__cpuid_legacy) is isomorphic to the
   obselescent code (in libxl_x86.c).

I had a look to see whether this was true and it seemed to be.

>          /*
> -         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function, stashed in
> -         * Xen.  Nothing else has ever taken notice of the value.
> +         * PAE used to be a parameter passed to this function by
> +         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED.  It is now passed normally.
>           */

I find this phrasing confusing, particularly this very loose use of
the word `parameter'.  I would drop this comment entirely and let the
commit message stand as the historical documentation.

>      char *cpuid_res[4];
> +    bool pae = true;
> +
> +    /*
> +     * PAE is a Xen-controlled for PV guests (it is the 'p' that causes the
> +     * difference between the xen-3.0-x86_32 and xen-3.0-x86_32p ABIs).  It\
 is
> +     * mandatory as Xen is running in 64bit mode.
> +     *
> +     * PVH guests don't have a top-level PAE control, and is treated as
> +     * available.
> +     */

I approve of putting a new comment here with an explanation.  However,
it should be wrapped rather more tightly (eg, in my MUA it is now
suffering from wrap damage as I demonstrate above) and it seems to
have some problems with the grammar ?  And I think the 2nd sentence
"It is mandatory" could usefully be re-qualified "for PV guests".  Or
you could write something like this.

   PV guests: PAE is Xen-controlled (it is the 'p' that causes the
   difference between the xen-3.0-x86_32 and xen-3.0-x86_32p ABIs);
   Xen is in 64-bit mode so PAE is mandatory.

   PVH guests: there is no top-level PAE control in the libx domain
   config; we always make it available.

   So only this test only applies to HVM guests:

Thanks,
Ian.

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[Xen-devel] [PATCH v2 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter
Posted by Andrew Cooper 5 years, 11 months ago
HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is set and consumed by the toolstack only.  It is in
practice a complicated and non-standard way of passing a boolean parameter
into xc_cpuid_apply_policy().

This is silly.  Pass PAE as a regular parameter instead.

In libxl__cpuid_legacy(), leave a rather better explaination of why only HVM
guests have a choice in PAE setting.

No change in how a guest is constructed.

Signed-off-by: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@citrix.com>
---
CC: Ian Jackson <Ian.Jackson@citrix.com>
CC: Wei Liu <wl@xen.org>
CC: Anthony PERARD <anthony.perard@citrix.com>

v2:
 * Rewrite commit message and comments.
---
 tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h |  2 +-
 tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c    | 15 +++------------
 tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c     | 16 +++++++++++++++-
 3 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h b/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h
index 311df1ef0f..4eb4f4c2c6 100644
--- a/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h
+++ b/tools/libxc/include/xenctrl.h
@@ -1807,7 +1807,7 @@ int xc_cpuid_set(xc_interface *xch,
 int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch,
                           uint32_t domid,
                           const uint32_t *featureset,
-                          unsigned int nr_features);
+                          unsigned int nr_features, bool pae);
 int xc_mca_op(xc_interface *xch, struct xen_mc *mc);
 int xc_mca_op_inject_v2(xc_interface *xch, unsigned int flags,
                         xc_cpumap_t cpumap, unsigned int nr_cpus);
diff --git a/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c b/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c
index 2540aa1e1c..21b15b86ec 100644
--- a/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c
+++ b/tools/libxc/xc_cpuid_x86.c
@@ -455,7 +455,8 @@ int xc_cpuid_set(
 }
 
 int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
-                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features)
+                          const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features,
+                          bool pae)
 {
     int rc;
     xc_dominfo_t di;
@@ -579,8 +580,6 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
     }
     else
     {
-        uint64_t val;
-
         /*
          * Topology for HVM guests is entirely controlled by Xen.  For now, we
          * hardcode APIC_ID = vcpu_id * 2 to give the illusion of no SMT.
@@ -634,15 +633,7 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
             break;
         }
 
-        /*
-         * HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is a parameter to this function, stashed in
-         * Xen.  Nothing else has ever taken notice of the value.
-         */
-        rc = xc_hvm_param_get(xch, domid, HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED, &val);
-        if ( rc )
-            goto out;
-
-        p->basic.pae = val;
+        p->basic.pae = pae;
 
         /*
          * These settings are necessary to cause earlier HVM_PARAM_NESTEDHVM /
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c
index 49d3ca5b26..062750102e 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_cpuid.c
@@ -416,8 +416,22 @@ void libxl__cpuid_legacy(libxl_ctx *ctx, uint32_t domid,
     libxl_cpuid_policy_list cpuid = info->cpuid;
     int i;
     char *cpuid_res[4];
+    bool pae = true;
+
+    /*
+     * For PV guests, PAE is Xen-controlled (it is the 'p' that differentiates
+     * the xen-3.0-x86_32 and xen-3.0-x86_32p ABIs).  It is mandatory as Xen
+     * is 64bit only these days.
+     *
+     * For PVH guests, there is no top-level PAE control in the domain config,
+     * so is treated as always available.
+     *
+     * HVM guests get a top-level choice of whether PAE is available.
+     */
+    if (info->type == LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_HVM)
+        pae = libxl_defbool_val(info->u.hvm.pae);
 
-    xc_cpuid_apply_policy(ctx->xch, domid, NULL, 0);
+    xc_cpuid_apply_policy(ctx->xch, domid, NULL, 0, pae);
 
     if (!cpuid)
         return;
-- 
2.11.0


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Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH v2 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter
Posted by Ian Jackson 5 years, 11 months ago
Andrew Cooper writes ("[PATCH v2 5/6] tools/libx[cl]: Don't use HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED as a function parameter"):
> HVM_PARAM_PAE_ENABLED is set and consumed by the toolstack only.  It is in
> practice a complicated and non-standard way of passing a boolean parameter
> into xc_cpuid_apply_policy().
> 
> This is silly.  Pass PAE as a regular parameter instead.
> 
> In libxl__cpuid_legacy(), leave a rather better explaination of why only HVM
> guests have a choice in PAE setting.
> 
> No change in how a guest is constructed.

Acked-by: Ian Jackson <ian.jackson@eu.citrix.com>

Ian.

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