Re: [PATCH RFC v2 11/27] arm64: mte: Reserve tag storage memory

Alexandru Elisei
2023-12-13T17:45:24Z

On Wed, Dec 13, 2023 at 11:22:17AM -0600, Rob Herring wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 13, 2023 at 8:51 AM Alexandru Elisei
> <alexandru.elisei@arm.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 13, 2023 at 08:06:44AM -0600, Rob Herring wrote:
> > > On Wed, Dec 13, 2023 at 7:05 AM Alexandru Elisei
> > > <alexandru.elisei@arm.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hi Rob,
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Dec 12, 2023 at 12:44:06PM -0600, Rob Herring wrote:
> > > > > On Tue, Dec 12, 2023 at 10:38 AM Alexandru Elisei
> > > > > <alexandru.elisei@arm.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hi Rob,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you so much for the feedback, I'm not very familiar with device tree,
> > > > > > and any comments are very useful.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Mon, Dec 11, 2023 at 11:29:40AM -0600, Rob Herring wrote:
> > > > > > > On Sun, Nov 19, 2023 at 10:59 AM Alexandru Elisei
> > > > > > > <alexandru.elisei@arm.com> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Allow the kernel to get the size and location of the MTE tag storage
> > > > > > > > regions from the DTB. This memory is marked as reserved for now.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > The DTB node for the tag storage region is defined as:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > tags0: tag-storage@8f8000000 {
> > > > > > > > compatible = "arm,mte-tag-storage";
> > > > > > > > reg = <0x08 0xf8000000 0x00 0x4000000>;
> > > > > > > > block-size = <0x1000>;
> > > > > > > > memory = <&memory0>; // Associated tagged memory node
> > > > > > > > };
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I skimmed thru the discussion some. If this memory range is within
> > > > > > > main RAM, then it definitely belongs in /reserved-memory.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ok, will do that.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If you don't mind, why do you say that it definitely belongs in
> > > > > > reserved-memory? I'm not trying to argue otherwise, I'm curious about the
> > > > > > motivation.
> > > > >
> > > > > Simply so that /memory nodes describe all possible memory and
> > > > > /reserved-memory is just adding restrictions. It's also because
> > > > > /reserved-memory is what gets handled early, and we don't need
> > > > > multiple things to handle early.
> > > > >
> > > > > > Tag storage is not DMA and can live anywhere in memory.
> > > > >
> > > > > Then why put it in DT at all? The only reason CMA is there is to set
> > > > > the size. It's not even clear to me we need CMA in DT either. The
> > > > > reasoning long ago was the kernel didn't do a good job of moving and
> > > > > reclaiming contiguous space, but that's supposed to be better now (and
> > > > > most h/w figured out they need IOMMUs).
> > > > >
> > > > > But for tag storage you know the size as it is a function of the
> > > > > memory size, right? After all, you are validating the size is correct.
> > > > > I guess there is still the aspect of whether you want enable MTE or
> > > > > not which could be done in a variety of ways.
> > > >
> > > > Oh, sorry, my bad, I should have been clearer about this. I don't want to
> > > > put it in the DT as a "linux,cma" node. But I want it to be managed by CMA.
> > >
> > > Yes, I understand, but my point remains. Why do you need this in DT?
> > > If the location doesn't matter and you can calculate the size from the
> > > memory size, what else is there to add to the DT?
> >
> > I am afraid there has been a misunderstanding. What do you mean by
> > "location doesn't matter"?
>
> You said:
> > Tag storage is not DMA and can live anywhere in memory.
>
> Which I took as the kernel can figure out where to put it. But maybe
> you meant the h/w platform can hard code it to be anywhere in memory?
> If so, then yes, DT is needed.

Ah, I see, sorry for not being clear enough, you are correct: tag storage
is a hardware property, and software needs a mechanism (in this case, the
dt) to discover its properties.

>
> > At the very least, Linux needs to know the address and size of a memory
> > region to use it. The series is about using the tag storage memory for
> > data. Tag storage cannot be described as a regular memory node because it
> > cannot be tagged (and normal memory can).
>
> If the tag storage lives in the middle of memory, then it would be
> described in the memory node, but removed by being in reserved-memory
> node.

I don't follow. Would you mind going into more details?

>
> > Then there's the matter of the tag storage block size (explained in this
> > commit message), and also knowing the memory range for which a tag storage
> > region stores the tags. This is explained in the cover letter.
>
> Honestly, I just forgot about that part.

I totally understand, there are a lot of things to consider at the same
time.

Thanks,
Alex