From: Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay <devnull+ackerleytng.google.com@kernel.org>
To: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>,
Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>,
Shuah Khan <skhan@linuxfoundation.org>,
Tianrui Zhao <zhaotianrui@loongson.cn>,
Bibo Mao <maobibo@loongson.cn>,
Huacai Chen <chenhuacai@kernel.org>,
WANG Xuerui <kernel@xen0n.name>,
Sean Christopherson <seanjc@google.com>,
Thomas Gleixner <tglx@kernel.org>,
Ingo Molnar <mingo@redhat.com>, Borislav Petkov <bp@alien8.de>,
Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>,
Fuad Tabba <tabba@google.com>,
vannapurve@google.com, x86@kernel.org,
"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>
Cc: kvm@vger.kernel.org, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, loongarch@lists.linux.dev,
Ackerley Tng <ackerleytng@google.com>
Subject: [PATCH RFC 01/12] Documentation: KVM: Elaborate comment on kvm_usage_lock
Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 08:33:13 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260527-kvm-locking-docs-v1-1-4fe8b602ff47@google.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260527-kvm-locking-docs-v1-0-4fe8b602ff47@google.com>
From: Ackerley Tng <ackerleytng@google.com>
The original comment talks about cpus_read_lock() and kvm_usage_count, but
doesn't explain why they are related.
Elaborate comment on kvm_usage_lock to provide more context.
Signed-off-by: Ackerley Tng <ackerleytng@google.com>
---
Documentation/virt/kvm/locking.rst | 19 +++++++++++++++++--
1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/virt/kvm/locking.rst b/Documentation/virt/kvm/locking.rst
index 662231e958a07..5564c8b38b9cc 100644
--- a/Documentation/virt/kvm/locking.rst
+++ b/Documentation/virt/kvm/locking.rst
@@ -248,8 +248,23 @@ time it will be set using the Dirty tracking mechanism described above.
:Arch: any
:Protects: - kvm_usage_count
- hardware virtualization enable/disable
-:Comment: Exists to allow taking cpus_read_lock() while kvm_usage_count is
- protected, which simplifies the virtualization enabling logic.
+:Comment: ``kvm_usage_count`` serves to deduplicate hardware
+ virtualization enabling and disabling requests from different VMs
+ being created.
+
+ Hardware virtualization enabling/disabling requires taking
+ ``cpus_read_lock()``.
+
+ ``kvm_lock`` used to also protect ``kvm_usage_count``, but other
+ parts of the Linux kernel holding ``cpus_read_lock()`` need to
+ call into KVM to ensure that VM state remains consistent with the
+ host's state. For example, when the CPU frequency changes, KVM is
+ notified. ``kvmclock_cpufreq_notifier()`` takes ``kvm_lock`` to
+ iterate ``vm_list``.
+
+ To decouple these, use different locks, ``kvm_lock`` for
+ ``vm_list`` and ``kvm_usage_lock`` for enabling/disabling hardware
+ virtualization.
``kvm->mn_invalidate_lock``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
--
2.54.0.823.g6e5bcc1fc9-goog
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-05-27 15:33 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 22+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-05-27 15:33 [PATCH RFC 00/12] Document synchronization used in managing guest faults Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-05-27 15:33 ` Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay [this message]
2026-06-25 18:12 ` [PATCH RFC 01/12] Documentation: KVM: Elaborate comment on kvm_usage_lock Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 02/12] Documentation: KVM: Consolidate notes about cpu_read_lock() and kvm_lock Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:12 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 03/12] Documentation: KVM: Consolidate notes about kvm->slots_lock and irq_lock Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:12 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 04/12] Documentation: KVM: Turn - into bullet point Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 05/12] Documentation: KVM: Explain what rule the exception section is meant for Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 06/12] Documentation: KVM: Have actual headings for exceptions Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 07/12] Documentation: KVM: Drop mention of kvm->lock in SRCU documentation Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:35 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 08/12] Documentation: KVM: Add example for kvm->srcu in relation to mutex/lock Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:17 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 09/12] Documentation: KVM: Document synchronization for managing guest faults Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 10/12] KVM: guest_memfd: Clarify comment about gmem.file vs kvm->srcu Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:19 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 11/12] KVM: mmu: Point users of host_pfn_mapping_level() to docs Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:29 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-05-27 15:33 ` [PATCH RFC 12/12] Documentation: KVM: Focus acquisition order section on preventing deadlocks Ackerley Tng via B4 Relay
2026-06-25 18:25 ` Sean Christopherson
2026-06-25 18:37 ` [PATCH RFC 00/12] Document synchronization used in managing guest faults Sean Christopherson
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=20260527-kvm-locking-docs-v1-1-4fe8b602ff47@google.com \
--to=devnull+ackerleytng.google.com@kernel.org \
--cc=ackerleytng@google.com \
--cc=bp@alien8.de \
--cc=chenhuacai@kernel.org \
--cc=corbet@lwn.net \
--cc=dave.hansen@linux.intel.com \
--cc=hpa@zytor.com \
--cc=kernel@xen0n.name \
--cc=kvm@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=linux-doc@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=loongarch@lists.linux.dev \
--cc=maobibo@loongson.cn \
--cc=mingo@redhat.com \
--cc=pbonzini@redhat.com \
--cc=seanjc@google.com \
--cc=skhan@linuxfoundation.org \
--cc=tabba@google.com \
--cc=tglx@kernel.org \
--cc=vannapurve@google.com \
--cc=x86@kernel.org \
--cc=zhaotianrui@loongson.cn \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox