[PATCH] i8253: Disable PIT timer 0 when not in use

David Woodhouse posted 1 patch 3 months ago
arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c     | 13 +++++++++++--
drivers/clocksource/i8253.c | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
include/linux/i8253.h       |  1 +
3 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
[PATCH] i8253: Disable PIT timer 0 when not in use
Posted by David Woodhouse 3 months ago
From: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>

Leaving the PIT interrupt running can cause noticeable steal time for
virtual guests. The VMM generally has a timer which toggles the IRQ input
to the PIC and I/O APIC, which takes CPU time away from the guest.

Make sure it's turned off if it isn't going to be used. Except on real
hardware, because the less we change on real hardware the better. There
be dragons.

Signed-off-by: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>
---
 arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c     | 13 +++++++++++--
 drivers/clocksource/i8253.c | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
 include/linux/i8253.h       |  1 +
 3 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c b/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c
index 2b7999a1a50a..54bfbd2aa773 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <linux/timex.h>
 #include <linux/i8253.h>
 
+#include <asm/hypervisor.h>
 #include <asm/apic.h>
 #include <asm/hpet.h>
 #include <asm/time.h>
@@ -39,9 +40,17 @@ static bool __init use_pit(void)
 
 bool __init pit_timer_init(void)
 {
-	if (!use_pit())
-		return false;
+	if (!use_pit()) {
+		/*
+		 * Don't just ignore the PIT. Ensure it's stopped, because
+		 * VMMs otherwise steal CPU time just to pointlessly waggle
+		 * the (masked) IRQ.
+		 */
+		if (!hypervisor_is_type(X86_HYPER_NATIVE))
+			clockevent_i8253_disable();
 
+		return false;
+	}
 	clockevent_i8253_init(true);
 	global_clock_event = &i8253_clockevent;
 	return true;
diff --git a/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c b/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c
index d4350bb10b83..51aab0a74481 100644
--- a/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c
+++ b/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c
@@ -108,21 +108,43 @@ int __init clocksource_i8253_init(void)
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CLKEVT_I8253
-static int pit_shutdown(struct clock_event_device *evt)
+void clockevent_i8253_disable(void)
 {
-	if (!clockevent_state_oneshot(evt) && !clockevent_state_periodic(evt))
-		return 0;
-
 	raw_spin_lock(&i8253_lock);
 
 	outb_p(0x30, PIT_MODE);
 
+	/*
+	 * The spec is a little bit ambiguous, although it does say that
+	 * "The actual order of the programming is quite flexible. Writing
+	 * out of the MODE control word can be in any sequence of counter
+	 * selection".
+	 *
+	 * Implementations differ, however, in whether a mode change takes
+	 * effect immediately or whether it only occurs when the counter is
+	 * subsequently written. The KVM in-kernel and AWS Nitro hypervisor
+	 * implementations need the counter to be written; QEMU does not.
+	 *
+	 * Theoretically, in one-shot mode, writing the counter will cause
+	 * the IRQ to trigger one last time before falling quiet. Allegedly,
+	 * under Hyper-V it keeps firing repeatedly, thus the existence of
+	 * the i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown quick to refrain from doing
+	 * so.
+	 */
 	if (i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown) {
 		outb_p(0, PIT_CH0);
 		outb_p(0, PIT_CH0);
 	}
 
 	raw_spin_unlock(&i8253_lock);
+}
+
+static int pit_shutdown(struct clock_event_device *evt)
+{
+	if (!clockevent_state_oneshot(evt) && !clockevent_state_periodic(evt))
+		return 0;
+
+	clockevent_i8253_disable();
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/i8253.h b/include/linux/i8253.h
index 8336b2f6f834..bf169cfef7f1 100644
--- a/include/linux/i8253.h
+++ b/include/linux/i8253.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ extern raw_spinlock_t i8253_lock;
 extern bool i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown;
 extern struct clock_event_device i8253_clockevent;
 extern void clockevent_i8253_init(bool oneshot);
+extern void clockevent_i8253_disable(void);
 
 extern void setup_pit_timer(void);
 
-- 
2.44.0


[PATCH 2/1] i8253: Fix stop sequence for timer 0
Posted by David Woodhouse 2 months, 4 weeks ago
From: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>

According to the data sheet, writing the MODE register should stop the
counter (and thus the interrupts). This appears to work on real hardware,
at least modern Intel and AMD systems. It should also work on Hyper-V.

However, on some buggy virtual machines the mode change doesn't have any
effect until the counter is subsequently loaded (or perhaps when the IRQ
next fires).

So, set MODE 0 and then load the counter, to ensure that those buggy VMs
do the right thing and the interrupts stop. And then write MODE 0 *again*
to stop the counter on compliant implementations too.

Apparently, Hyper-V keeps firing the IRQ *repeatedly* even in mode zero
when it should only happen once, but the second MODE write stops that too.

Userspace test program (mostly written by tglx):
=====
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <sys/io.h>

typedef unsigned char	uint8_t;
typedef unsigned short	uint16_t;

static __always_inline void __out##bwl(type value, uint16_t port)	\
{									\
	asm volatile("out" #bwl " %" #bw "0, %w1"			\
		     : : "a"(value), "Nd"(port));			\
}									\
									\
static __always_inline type __in##bwl(uint16_t port)			\
{									\
	type value;							\
	asm volatile("in" #bwl " %w1, %" #bw "0"			\
		     : "=a"(value) : "Nd"(port));			\
	return value;							\
}

BUILDIO(b, b, uint8_t)

 #define inb __inb
 #define outb __outb

 #define PIT_MODE	0x43
 #define PIT_CH0	0x40
 #define PIT_CH2	0x42

static int is8254;

static void dump_pit(void)
{
	if (is8254) {
		// Latch and output counter and status
		outb(0xC2, PIT_MODE);
		printf("%02x %02x %02x\n", inb(PIT_CH0), inb(PIT_CH0), inb(PIT_CH0));
	} else {
		// Latch and output counter
		outb(0x0, PIT_MODE);
		printf("%02x %02x\n", inb(PIT_CH0), inb(PIT_CH0));
	}
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
	int nr_counts = 2;

	if (argc > 1)
		nr_counts = atoi(argv[1]);

	if (argc > 2)
		is8254 = 1;

	if (ioperm(0x40, 4, 1) != 0)
		return 1;

	dump_pit();

	printf("Set oneshot\n");
	outb(0x38, PIT_MODE);
	outb(0x00, PIT_CH0);
	outb(0x0F, PIT_CH0);

	dump_pit();
	usleep(1000);
	dump_pit();

	printf("Set periodic\n");
	outb(0x34, PIT_MODE);
	outb(0x00, PIT_CH0);
	outb(0x0F, PIT_CH0);

	dump_pit();
	usleep(1000);
	dump_pit();
	dump_pit();
	usleep(100000);
	dump_pit();
	usleep(100000);
	dump_pit();

	printf("Set stop (%d counter writes)\n", nr_counts);
	outb(0x30, PIT_MODE);
	while (nr_counts--)
		outb(0xFF, PIT_CH0);

	dump_pit();
	usleep(100000);
	dump_pit();
	usleep(100000);
	dump_pit();

	printf("Set MODE 0\n");
	outb(0x30, PIT_MODE);

	dump_pit();
	usleep(100000);
	dump_pit();
	usleep(100000);
	dump_pit();

	return 0;
}
=====

Signed-off-by: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>
---
 arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mshyperv.c | 10 ----------
 drivers/clocksource/i8253.c    | 36 +++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
 include/linux/i8253.h          |  1 -
 3 files changed, 25 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mshyperv.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mshyperv.c
index e0fd57a8ba84..64fdbada83db 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mshyperv.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mshyperv.c
@@ -522,16 +522,6 @@ static void __init ms_hyperv_init_platform(void)
 	if (efi_enabled(EFI_BOOT))
 		x86_platform.get_nmi_reason = hv_get_nmi_reason;
 
-	/*
-	 * Hyper-V VMs have a PIT emulation quirk such that zeroing the
-	 * counter register during PIT shutdown restarts the PIT. So it
-	 * continues to interrupt @18.2 HZ. Setting i8253_clear_counter
-	 * to false tells pit_shutdown() not to zero the counter so that
-	 * the PIT really is shutdown. Generation 2 VMs don't have a PIT,
-	 * and setting this value has no effect.
-	 */
-	i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown = false;
-
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HYPERV)
 	if ((hv_get_isolation_type() == HV_ISOLATION_TYPE_VBS) ||
 	    ms_hyperv.paravisor_present)
diff --git a/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c b/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c
index cb215e6f2e83..39f7c2d736d1 100644
--- a/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c
+++ b/drivers/clocksource/i8253.c
@@ -20,13 +20,6 @@
 DEFINE_RAW_SPINLOCK(i8253_lock);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(i8253_lock);
 
-/*
- * Handle PIT quirk in pit_shutdown() where zeroing the counter register
- * restarts the PIT, negating the shutdown. On platforms with the quirk,
- * platform specific code can set this to false.
- */
-bool i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown __ro_after_init = true;
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_CLKSRC_I8253
 /*
  * Since the PIT overflows every tick, its not very useful
@@ -112,12 +105,33 @@ void clockevent_i8253_disable(void)
 {
 	raw_spin_lock(&i8253_lock);
 
+	/*
+	 * Writing the MODE register should stop the counter, according to
+	 * the datasheet. This appears to work on real hardware (well, on
+	 * modern Intel and AMD boxes; I didn't dig the Pegasos out of the
+	 * shed).
+	 *
+	 * However, some virtual implementations differ, and the MODE change
+	 * doesn't have any effect until either the counter is written (KVM
+	 * in-kernel PIT) or the next interrupt (QEMU). And in those cases,
+	 * it may not stop the *count*, only the interrupts. Although in
+	 * the virt case, that probably doesn't matter, as the value of the
+	 * counter will only be calculated on demand if the guest reads it;
+	 * it's the interrupts which cause steal time.
+	 *
+	 * Hyper-V apparently has a bug where even in mode 0, the IRQ keeps
+	 * firing repeatedly if the counter is running. But it *does* do the
+	 * right thing when the MODE register is written.
+	 *
+	 * So: write the MODE and then load the counter, which ensures that
+	 * the IRQ is stopped on those buggy virt implementations. And then
+	 * write the MODE again, which is the right way to stop it.
+	 */
 	outb_p(0x30, PIT_MODE);
+	outb_p(0, PIT_CH0);
+	outb_p(0, PIT_CH0);
 
-	if (i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown) {
-		outb_p(0, PIT_CH0);
-		outb_p(0, PIT_CH0);
-	}
+	outb_p(0x30, PIT_MODE);
 
 	raw_spin_unlock(&i8253_lock);
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/i8253.h b/include/linux/i8253.h
index bf169cfef7f1..56c280eb2d4f 100644
--- a/include/linux/i8253.h
+++ b/include/linux/i8253.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #define PIT_LATCH	((PIT_TICK_RATE + HZ/2) / HZ)
 
 extern raw_spinlock_t i8253_lock;
-extern bool i8253_clear_counter_on_shutdown;
 extern struct clock_event_device i8253_clockevent;
 extern void clockevent_i8253_init(bool oneshot);
 extern void clockevent_i8253_disable(void);
-- 
2.44.0