[libvirt] [PATCH RESEND v1 1/2] i386: Add Intel Processor Trace feature support

Kang, Luwei luwei.kang at intel.com
Wed Jan 17 10:32:56 UTC 2018


> > > > On Mon, Jan 15, 2018 at 12:04:55 -0200, Eduardo Habkost wrote:
> > > > > CCing libvirt developers.
> > > > ...
> > > > > This case is slightly more problematic, however: the new feature
> > > > > is actually migratable (under very controlled circumstances)
> > > > > because of patch 2/2, but it is not migration-safe[1].  This
> > > > > means libvirt shouldn't include it in "host-model" expansion
> > > > > (which uses the query-cpu-model-expansion QMP command) until we
> > > > > make the feature migration-safe.
> > > > >
> > > > > For QEMU, this means the feature shouldn't be returned by
> > > > > "query-cpu-model-expansion type=static model=max" (but it can be
> > > > > returned by "query-cpu-model-expansion type=full model=max").
> > > > >
> > > > > Jiri, it looks like libvirt uses type=full on
> > > > > query-cpu-model-expansion on x86.  It needs to use
> > > > > type=static[2], or it will have no way to find out if a feature
> > > > > is migration-safe or not.
> > > > ...
> > > > > [2] It looks like libvirt uses type=full because it wants to get
> > > > >     all QOM property aliases returned.  In this case, one
> > > > >     solution for libvirt is to use:
> > > > >
> > > > >     static_expansion = query_cpu_model_expansion(type=static, model)
> > > > >     all_props = query_cpu_model_expansion(type=full,
> > > > > static_expansion)
> > > >
> > > > This is exactly what libvirt is doing (with model = "host") ever
> > > > since query-cpu-model-expansion support was implemented for x86.
> > >
> > > Oh, now I see that the x86 code uses
> > > QEMU_MONITOR_CPU_MODEL_EXPANSION_STATIC_FULL and not just QEMU_MONITOR_CPU_MODEL_EXPANSION_FULL.
> Nice!
> > >
> >
> > So, I need to add Intel PT feature in "X86CPUDefinition
> > builtin_x86_defs[]" so that we can get this CPUID in specific CPU
> > model not only "-cpu host". Is that right?
> 
> The problem is that you won't be able to add intel-pt to any CPU model unless the feature is made migration-safe (by not calling
> kvm_arch_get_supported_cpuid() from cpu_x86_cpuid()).

Hi Eduardo,
    Have some question need you help clear. What is "migration-safe" feature mean? I find all the feature which included in CPU model (builtin_x86_defs[]) will make "xcc->migration_safe = true;" in x86_cpu_cpudef_class_init(). If create a Skylake guest on Skylake HW and live migrate this guest to another machine with old HW(e.g Haswell). Can we think the new feature or cpu model(Skylake guest) which only supported in Skylake HW is safe?

> 
> What's missing here is to either: (a) make cpu_x86_cpuid() return host-independent data (it can be constant, or it can be
> configurable on the command-line); or (b) add a mechanism to skip intel-pt from "query-cpu-model-expansion type=static".

==> it can be constant:
    I think it shouldn't be constant because Intel PT virtualization can only supported in Ice Lake hardware now. Intel PT cpuid info would be mask off on old platform.
==> or it can be configurable on the command-line:
    Because of I didn't add this feature in any CPU model. We only can enable this feature by "-cpu Skylake-Server,+intel-pt" at present.

What about add a new cpu model name "Icelake" and add PT in this. Is that would be migration safe?

Thanks,
Luwei Kang

> Probably
> (a) is easier to implement, and it also makes the feature more useful (by making it migration-safe).
> 
> >
> > Intel PT is first supported in Intel Core M and 5th generation Intel
> > Core processors that are based on the Intel micro-architecture code
> > name Broadwell but Intel PT use EPT is first supported in Ice Lake.
> > Intel PT virtualization depend on PT use EPT.  I will add Intel PT to
> > "Broadwell" CPU model and later to make sure a "Broadwell" guest can
> > use Intel PT if the host is Ice Lake.
> 
> The "if the host is Ice Lake" part is problematic.  On migration-safe CPU models (all of them except "max" and "host"), the data seen
> on CPUID can't depend on the host at all.  It should depend only on the machine-type + command-line options.
> 
> --
> Eduardo




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