[PATCH] arch/powerpc/pseries: Fix KVM guest detection for disabling hardlockup detector

[PATCH] arch/powerpc/pseries: Fix KVM guest detection for disabling hardlockup detector

[Gautam Menghani]

As per the kernel documentation[1], hardlockup detector should be
disabled in KVM guests as it may give false positives. On PPC, hardlockup
detector is broken inside KVM guests because disable_hardlockup_detector()
is marked as early_initcall and it uses is_kvm_guest(), which is
initialized by check_kvm_guest() later during boot as it is a
core_initcall. check_kvm_guest() is also called in pSeries_smp_probe(),
which is called before initcalls, but it is skipped if KVM guest does
not have doorbell support or if the guest is launched with SMT=1.

Move the check_kvm_guest() call in pSeries_smp_probe() to the initial
part of function before doorbell/SMT checks so that "kvm_guest" static
key is initialized by the time disable_hardlockup_detector() runs.

[1]: Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst

Signed-off-by: Gautam Menghani <gautam@linux.ibm.com>
---
 arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c | 9 +++++++--
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c
index c597711ef20a..516c7bfec933 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c
@@ -199,6 +199,13 @@ static __init void pSeries_smp_probe(void)
 	else
 		xics_smp_probe();
 
+	/*
+	 * Make sure this is called regardless of doorbell/SMT status, as
+	 * we disable hardlockup detector in an early_initcall where we need to
+	 * know KVM status for disabling hardlockup detector in KVM guests.
+	 */
+	check_kvm_guest();
+
 	/* No doorbell facility, must use the interrupt controller for IPIs */
 	if (!cpu_has_feature(CPU_FTR_DBELL))
 		return;
@@ -207,8 +214,6 @@ static __init void pSeries_smp_probe(void)
 	if (!cpu_has_feature(CPU_FTR_SMT))
 		return;
 
-	check_kvm_guest();
-
 	if (is_kvm_guest()) {
 		/*
 		 * KVM emulates doorbells by disabling FSCR[MSGP] so msgsndp
-- 
2.47.0

Re: [PATCH] arch/powerpc/pseries: Fix KVM guest detection for disabling hardlockup detector

[Michael Ellerman]

Gautam Menghani <gautam@linux.ibm.com> writes:
> As per the kernel documentation[1], hardlockup detector should be
> disabled in KVM guests as it may give false positives. On PPC, hardlockup
> detector is broken inside KVM guests because disable_hardlockup_detector()
 
Isn't it the opposite? Inside KVM guests, the hardlockup detector should
be *disabled*, but it's not it's *enabled*, due to this bug.

ie. it's not broken, it's working, but that's the bug.

> is marked as early_initcall and it uses is_kvm_guest(), which is
> initialized by check_kvm_guest() later during boot as it is a
> core_initcall. check_kvm_guest() is also called in pSeries_smp_probe(),
> which is called before initcalls, but it is skipped if KVM guest does
> not have doorbell support or if the guest is launched with SMT=1.

I'm wondering how no one has noticed. Most KVM guests have SMT=1.

> Move the check_kvm_guest() call in pSeries_smp_probe() to the initial
> part of function before doorbell/SMT checks so that "kvm_guest" static
> key is initialized by the time disable_hardlockup_detector() runs.

check_kvm_guest() is safe to be called multiple times so
disable_hardlockup_detector() should just call it before it calls
is_kvm_guest(). That should avoid future breakage when the order of
calls changes, or someone refactors pSeries_smp_probe().

Can you identify the commit that broke this and include a Fixes: tag
please.

cheers

> [1]: Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst
>
> Signed-off-by: Gautam Menghani <gautam@linux.ibm.com>
> ---
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c | 9 +++++++--
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c
> index c597711ef20a..516c7bfec933 100644
> --- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c
> +++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/smp.c
> @@ -199,6 +199,13 @@ static __init void pSeries_smp_probe(void)
>  	else
>  		xics_smp_probe();
>  
> +	/*
> +	 * Make sure this is called regardless of doorbell/SMT status, as
> +	 * we disable hardlockup detector in an early_initcall where we need to
> +	 * know KVM status for disabling hardlockup detector in KVM guests.
> +	 */
> +	check_kvm_guest();
> +
>  	/* No doorbell facility, must use the interrupt controller for IPIs */
>  	if (!cpu_has_feature(CPU_FTR_DBELL))
>  		return;
> @@ -207,8 +214,6 @@ static __init void pSeries_smp_probe(void)
>  	if (!cpu_has_feature(CPU_FTR_SMT))
>  		return;
>  
> -	check_kvm_guest();
> -
>  	if (is_kvm_guest()) {
>  		/*
>  		 * KVM emulates doorbells by disabling FSCR[MSGP] so msgsndp
> -- 
> 2.47.0

Re: [PATCH] arch/powerpc/pseries: Fix KVM guest detection for disabling hardlockup detector

[Gautam Menghani]

On Thu, Nov 07, 2024 at 10:54:29PM +1100, Michael Ellerman wrote:
> Gautam Menghani <gautam@linux.ibm.com> writes:
> > As per the kernel documentation[1], hardlockup detector should be
> > disabled in KVM guests as it may give false positives. On PPC, hardlockup
> > detector is broken inside KVM guests because disable_hardlockup_detector()
>  
> Isn't it the opposite? Inside KVM guests, the hardlockup detector should
> be *disabled*, but it's not it's *enabled*, due to this bug.
> 
> ie. it's not broken, it's working, but that's the bug.

Yes right, will change the description in v2.

> 
> > is marked as early_initcall and it uses is_kvm_guest(), which is
> > initialized by check_kvm_guest() later during boot as it is a
> > core_initcall. check_kvm_guest() is also called in pSeries_smp_probe(),
> > which is called before initcalls, but it is skipped if KVM guest does
> > not have doorbell support or if the guest is launched with SMT=1.
> 
> I'm wondering how no one has noticed. Most KVM guests have SMT=1.

Looking at the commit history, code around hardlockups and
pSeries_smp_probe() was changed around 2021/2022 timeframe, and I
believe KVM wasn't being actively tested at the time. 
Even I noticed this only after coming across the documentation that said
hardlockups should be disabled. So probably this feature decision isn't
widely known.

> 
> > Move the check_kvm_guest() call in pSeries_smp_probe() to the initial
> > part of function before doorbell/SMT checks so that "kvm_guest" static
> > key is initialized by the time disable_hardlockup_detector() runs.
> 
> check_kvm_guest() is safe to be called multiple times so
> disable_hardlockup_detector() should just call it before it calls
> is_kvm_guest(). That should avoid future breakage when the order of
> calls changes, or someone refactors pSeries_smp_probe().

Yeah I did that initially but in the worst case, that results in 3 calls
to check_kvm_guest() - the core_initcall, pseries_smp_probe() call and 
then disable_hardlockup_detector(). Will that be fine?

> 
> Can you identify the commit that broke this and include a Fixes: tag
> please.

Yes will do

Thanks,
Gautam

Re: [PATCH] arch/powerpc/pseries: Fix KVM guest detection for disabling hardlockup detector

[Michael Ellerman]

Gautam Menghani <gautam@linux.ibm.com> writes:
> On Thu, Nov 07, 2024 at 10:54:29PM +1100, Michael Ellerman wrote:
>> Gautam Menghani <gautam@linux.ibm.com> writes:
>> > As per the kernel documentation[1], hardlockup detector should be
>> > disabled in KVM guests as it may give false positives. On PPC, hardlockup
>> > detector is broken inside KVM guests because disable_hardlockup_detector()
>>  
>> Isn't it the opposite? Inside KVM guests, the hardlockup detector should
>> be *disabled*, but it's not it's *enabled*, due to this bug.
>> 
>> ie. it's not broken, it's working, but that's the bug.
>
> Yes right, will change the description in v2.

Thanks.

>> > is marked as early_initcall and it uses is_kvm_guest(), which is
>> > initialized by check_kvm_guest() later during boot as it is a
>> > core_initcall. check_kvm_guest() is also called in pSeries_smp_probe(),
>> > which is called before initcalls, but it is skipped if KVM guest does
>> > not have doorbell support or if the guest is launched with SMT=1.
>> 
>> I'm wondering how no one has noticed. Most KVM guests have SMT=1.
>
> Looking at the commit history, code around hardlockups and
> pSeries_smp_probe() was changed around 2021/2022 timeframe, and I
> believe KVM wasn't being actively tested at the time. 
> Even I noticed this only after coming across the documentation that said
> hardlockups should be disabled. So probably this feature decision isn't
> widely known.

I do test KVM but probably not under enough load to notice something
like that.

>> > Move the check_kvm_guest() call in pSeries_smp_probe() to the initial
>> > part of function before doorbell/SMT checks so that "kvm_guest" static
>> > key is initialized by the time disable_hardlockup_detector() runs.
>> 
>> check_kvm_guest() is safe to be called multiple times so
>> disable_hardlockup_detector() should just call it before it calls
>> is_kvm_guest(). That should avoid future breakage when the order of
>> calls changes, or someone refactors pSeries_smp_probe().
>
> Yeah I did that initially but in the worst case, that results in 3 calls
> to check_kvm_guest() - the core_initcall, pseries_smp_probe() call and 
> then disable_hardlockup_detector(). Will that be fine?

Yeah it's fine. It's not pretty, maybe we can come up with something
cleaner in future, but it's fine for a bug fix.

cheers