[virtio] Re: [PATCH v2] ACCESS_PLATFORM/ACCESS_ORDER

["Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@redhat.com>]

On Wed, Nov 21, 2018 at 12:38:10PM -0500, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
> This is an attempt to clarify the intent behind
> VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM and VIRTIO_F_IO_BARRIER
> which based on recent discussions appear to be hard to understand.
> 
> - rename VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM to ACCESS_PLATFORM
>   It is already the fact that the DMA API that Linux
>   uses does more than just IOMMUs - it includes
>   cache flushing, bounce buffers for limited
>   addressing, etc.
>   Update spec to match this reality.
> 
> - rename VIRTIO_F_IO_BARRIER to VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM
>   this is after all what device is telling driver:
>   its memory accesses are only ordered weakly,
>   this is why a stronger barrier is required.
> 
> - Explain that with IO_BARRIER (now ORDER_PLATFORM) not negotiating it
>   is not a good idea *even if it does not fail*: device can
>   have a slower software fallback so that existing drivers
>   aren't broken.
> 
> - Recommend that for maximum portability both bits are offered.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Michael S. Tsirkin <mst@redhat.com>

Fixes: https://github.com/oasis-tcs/virtio-spec/issues/25

> ---
> 
> Changes from v1:
> - try to address comments by Jason Wang
>   add a ote that it is RECOMMENDED that hardware devices offer both bits
> - soften recommendation to support an emulation mode
>   to MAY
> 
> 
>  content.tex | 73 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------
>  1 file changed, 51 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/content.tex b/content.tex
> index c346183..fe02715 100644
> --- a/content.tex
> +++ b/content.tex
> @@ -5452,26 +5452,46 @@ Descriptors} and \ref{sec:Packed Virtqueues / Indirect Flag: Scatter-Gather Supp
>    \item[VIRTIO_F_VERSION_1(32)] This indicates compliance with this
>      specification, giving a simple way to detect legacy devices or drivers.
>  
> -  \item[VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM(33)] This feature indicates that the device is
> +  \item[VIRTIO_F_ACCESS_PLATFORM(33)] This feature indicates that
> +  the device can be used in a platform where device access to data
> +  in memory is limited and/or translated. E.g. this is the case if the device can be located
>    behind an IOMMU that translates bus addresses from the device into physical
> -  addresses in memory.  If this feature bit is set to 0, then the device emits
> -  physical addresses which are not translated further, even though an IOMMU
> -  may be present.
> +  addresses in memory, if device can be limited to only access
> +  certain memory addresses or if special commands such as
> +  a cache flush can be needed to synchronise data in memory with
> +  the device. Whether accesses are actually limited or translated
> +  is described by platform-specific means.
> +  If this feature bit is set to 0, then the device
> +  has same access to memory addresses supplied to it as the driver.
> +  In particular it will always use physical addresses
> +  matching addresses used by driver (typically the CPU)
> +  and not translated further, and can access any address supplied to it by
> +  driver. When clear, this overrides any platform-specific description of
> +  whether device access is limited or translated in any way, e.g.
> +  whether an IOMMU may be present.
>    \item[VIRTIO_F_RING_PACKED(34)] This feature indicates
>    support for the packed virtqueue layout as described in
>    \ref{sec:Basic Facilities of a Virtio Device / Packed Virtqueues}~\nameref{sec:Basic Facilities of a Virtio Device / Packed Virtqueues}.
>    \item[VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER(35)] This feature indicates
>    that all buffers are used by the device in the same
>    order in which they have been made available.
> -  \item[VIRTIO_F_IO_BARRIER(36)] This feature indicates
> -  that the device needs the driver to use the barriers
> -  suitable for hardware devices.  Some transports require
> -  barriers to ensure devices have a consistent view of
> -  memory.  When devices are implemented in software a
> -  weaker form of barrier may be sufficient and yield
> -  better performance.  This feature indicates whether
> -  a stronger form of barrier suitable for hardware
> -  devices is necessary.
> +  \item[VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM(36)] This feature indicates
> +  that memory accesses by driver and device are ordered
> +  in a way described by the platform.
> +  If this feature bit is negotiated, then for any memory
> +  accesses by the driver that need to be ordered
> +  in a specific way with respect to access by
> +  the device, the ordering in effect is the one
> +  suitable for devices described by the platform,
> +  and he driver needs to use memory barriers
> +  suitable for devices described by the platform,
> +  e.g. for the PCI transport, for hardware PCI devices.
> +  If this feature bit is set to 0, then the device
> +  and driver are assumed to be implemented in software, that is
> +  they can be assumed to run on identical CPUs
> +  in an SMP configuration.
> +  Thus a weaker form of memory barriers is sufficient
> +  to yield better performance.
>    \item[VIRTIO_F_SR_IOV(37)] This feature indicates that
>    the device supports Single Root I/O Virtualization.
>    Currently only PCI devices support this feature.
> @@ -5482,16 +5502,16 @@ Descriptors} and \ref{sec:Packed Virtqueues / Indirect Flag: Scatter-Gather Supp
>  A driver MUST accept VIRTIO_F_VERSION_1 if it is offered.  A driver
>  MAY fail to operate further if VIRTIO_F_VERSION_1 is not offered.
>  
> -A driver SHOULD accept VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM if it is offered, and it MUST
> +A driver SHOULD accept VIRTIO_F_ACCESS_PLATFORM if it is offered, and it MUST
>  then either disable the IOMMU or configure the IOMMU to translate bus addresses
>  passed to the device into physical addresses in memory.  If
> -VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM is not offered, then a driver MUST pass only physical
> +VIRTIO_F_ACCESS_PLATFORM is not offered, then a driver MUST pass only physical
>  addresses to the device.
>  
>  A driver SHOULD accept VIRTIO_F_RING_PACKED if it is offered.
>  
> -A driver SHOULD accept VIRTIO_F_IO_BARRIER if it is offered.
> -If VIRTIO_F_IO_BARRIER has been negotiated, a driver MUST use
> +A driver SHOULD accept VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM if it is offered.
> +If VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM has been negotiated, a driver MUST use
>  the barriers suitable for hardware devices.
>  
>  \devicenormative{\section}{Reserved Feature Bits}{Reserved Feature Bits}
> @@ -5499,16 +5519,25 @@ the barriers suitable for hardware devices.
>  A device MUST offer VIRTIO_F_VERSION_1.  A device MAY fail to operate further
>  if VIRTIO_F_VERSION_1 is not accepted.
>  
> -A device SHOULD offer VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM if it is behind an IOMMU that
> -translates bus addresses from the device into physical addresses in memory.
> -A device MAY fail to operate further if VIRTIO_F_IOMMU_PLATFORM is not
> +A device SHOULD offer VIRTIO_F_ACCESS_PLATFORM if it's access to
> +memory is through bus addresses distinct from and translated
> +by the platform to physical addresses used by the driver, and/or
> +if it can only access certain memory addresses with said access
> +specified and/or granted by the platform.
> +A device MAY fail to operate further if VIRTIO_F_ACCESS_PLATFORM is not
>  accepted.
>  
>  If VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER has been negotiated, a device MUST use
>  buffers in the same order in which they have been available.
>  
> -A device MAY fail to operate further if VIRTIO_F_IO_BARRIER
> -is not accepted.
> +A device MAY fail to operate further if
> +VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM is offered but not accepted.
> +A device MAY operate in a slower emulation mode if
> +VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM is offered but not accepted.
> +
> +It is RECOMMENDED that an add-in card based PCI device
> +offer both VIRTIO_F_ACCESS_PLATFORM and
> +VIRTIO_F_ORDER_PLATFORM for maximum portability.
>  
>  A device SHOULD offer VIRTIO_F_SR_IOV if it is a PCI device
>  and presents a PCI SR-IOV capability structure, otherwise
> -- 
> MST

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