[PATCH] Documentation: Add documentation for new platform_profile sysfs attribute

Mark Pearson
2020-10-27T16:42:54Z

From: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>

On modern systems the platform performance, temperature, fan and other
hardware related characteristics are often dynamically configurable. The
profile is often automatically adjusted to the load by somei
automatic-mechanism (which may very well live outside the kernel).

These auto platform-adjustment mechanisms often can be configured with
one of several 'platform-profiles', with either a bias towards low-power
consumption or towards performance (and higher power consumption and
thermals).

Introduce a new platform_profile sysfs API which offers a generic API for
selecting the performance-profile of these automatic-mechanisms.

Co-developed-by: Mark Pearson <markpearson@lenovo.com>
Signed-off-by: Mark Pearson <markpearson@lenovo.com>
Signed-off-by: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
---
Changes in V1:
- Moved from RFC to proposed patch
- Added cool profile as requested
- removed extra-profiles as no longer relevant

.../ABI/testing/sysfs-platform_profile | 66 +++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 66 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-platform_profile

diff --git a/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-platform_profile b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-platform_profile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..240bd3d7532b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-platform_profile
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+Platform-profile selection (e.g. /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile)
+
+On modern systems the platform performance, temperature, fan and other
+hardware related characteristics are often dynamically configurable. The
+profile is often automatically adjusted to the load by some
+automatic-mechanism (which may very well live outside the kernel).
+
+These auto platform-adjustment mechanisms often can be configured with
+one of several 'platform-profiles', with either a bias towards low-power
+consumption or towards performance (and higher power consumption and
+thermals).
+
+The purpose of the platform_profile attribute is to offer a generic sysfs
+API for selecting the platform-profile of these automatic-mechanisms.
+
+Note that this API is only for selecting the platform-profile, it is
+NOT a goal of this API to allow monitoring the resulting performance
+characteristics. Monitoring performance is best done with device/vendor
+specific tools such as e.g. turbostat.
+
+Specifically when selecting a high-performance profile the actual achieved
+performance may be limited by various factors such as: the heat generated
+by other components, room temperature, free air flow at the bottom of a
+laptop, etc. It is explicitly NOT a goal of this API to let userspace know
+about any sub-optimal conditions which are impeding reaching the requested
+performance level.
+
+Since numbers are a rather meaningless way to describe platform-profiles
+this API uses strings to describe the various profiles. To make sure that
+userspace gets a consistent experience when using this API this API
+document defines a fixed set of profile-names. Drivers *must* map their
+internal profile representation/names onto this fixed set.
+
+If for some reason there is no good match when mapping then a new profile-name
+may be added. Drivers which wish to introduce new profile-names must:
+1. Have very good reasons to do so.
+2. Add the new profile-name to this document, so that future drivers which also
+ have a similar problem can use the same name.
+
+What: /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile_choices
+Date: October 2020
+Contact: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
+Description:
+ Reading this file gives a space separated list of profiles
+ supported for this device.
+
+ Drivers must use the following standard profile-names:
+
+ low-power: Emphasises low power consumption
+ cool: Emphasises cooler operation
+ quiet: Emphasises quieter operation
+ balanced: Balance between low power consumption
+ and performance
+ performance: Emphasises performance (and may lead to
+ higher temperatures and fan speeds)
+
+ Userspace may expect drivers to offer at least several of these
+ standard profile-names.
+
+What: /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile
+Date: October 2020
+Contact: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
+Description:
+ Reading this file gives the current selected profile for this
+ device. Writing this file with one of the strings from
+ available_profiles changes the profile to the new value.
--
2.28.0