Re: [PATCH 3/3] pci/msi: remove pci_msi_ignore_mask

Bjorn Helgaas
2025-01-13T23:32:47Z

On Mon, Jan 13, 2025 at 11:25:58AM +0100, Roger Pau Monné wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 04:30:57PM -0600, Bjorn Helgaas wrote:
> > On Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 03:01:50PM +0100, Roger Pau Monne wrote:
> > > Setting pci_msi_ignore_mask inhibits the toggling of the mask bit for both MSI
> > > and MSI-X entries globally, regardless of the IRQ chip they are using. Only
> > > Xen sets the pci_msi_ignore_mask when routing physical interrupts over event
> > > channels, to prevent PCI code from attempting to toggle the maskbit, as it's
> > > Xen that controls the bit.
> > >
> > > However, the pci_msi_ignore_mask being global will affect devices that use MSI
> > > interrupts but are not routing those interrupts over event channels (not using
> > > the Xen pIRQ chip). One example is devices behind a VMD PCI bridge. In that
> > > scenario the VMD bridge configures MSI(-X) using the normal IRQ chip (the pIRQ
> > > one in the Xen case), and devices behind the bridge configure the MSI entries
> > > using indexes into the VMD bridge MSI table. The VMD bridge then demultiplexes
> > > such interrupts and delivers to the destination device(s). Having
> > > pci_msi_ignore_mask set in that scenario prevents (un)masking of MSI entries
> > > for devices behind the VMD bridge.
> > >
> > > Move the signaling of no entry masking into the MSI domain flags, as that
> > > allows setting it on a per-domain basis. Set it for the Xen MSI domain that
> > > uses the pIRQ chip, while leaving it unset for the rest of the cases.
> > >
> > > Remove pci_msi_ignore_mask at once, since it was only used by Xen code, and
> > > with Xen dropping usage the variable is unneeded.
> > >
> > > This fixes using devices behind a VMD bridge on Xen PV hardware domains.
> >
> > Wrap to fit in 75 columns.
> >
> > The first two patches talk about devices behind VMD not being usable
> > for Xen, but this one says they now work.
>
> Sorry, let me try to clarify:
>
> Devices behind a VMD bridge are not known to Xen, however that doesn't
> mean Linux cannot use them. That's what this series achieves. By
> inhibiting the usage of VMD_FEAT_CAN_BYPASS_MSI_REMAP and the removal
> of the pci_msi_ignore_mask bodge devices behind a VMD bridge do work
> fine when use from a Linux Xen hardware domain. That's the whole
> point of the series.
>
> > But this doesn't undo the
> > code changes or comments added by the first two, so the result is a
> > bit confusing (probably because I know nothing about Xen).
>
> All patches are needed. There's probably some confusion about devices
> behind a VMD bridge not being known by Xen vs not being usable by
> Linux running under Xen as a hardware domain.
>
> With all three patches applied devices behind a VMD bridge work under
> Linux with Xen.

There's certainly confusion in *my* mind because I don't know enough
about Xen to understand the subtlety about devices behind VMD not
being known by Xen but still being usable by Linux running under Xen.

Bjorn