linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v6 08/11] tpm: Driver for supporting multiple emulated TPMs

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Date:	Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:38:18 -0500
From:	Stefan Berger <stefanb@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
To:	Andy Lutomirski <luto@...capital.net>
Cc:	Jarkko Sakkinen <jarkko.sakkinen@...ux.intel.com>,
	Jason Gunthorpe <jgunthorpe@...idianresearch.com>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-doc@...r.kernel.org" <linux-doc@...r.kernel.org>,
	Linux API <linux-api@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v6 08/11] tpm: Driver for supporting multiple emulated
 TPMs

On 03/09/2016 09:57 PM, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 6:34 PM, Stefan Berger
> <stefanb@...ux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
>> On 03/09/2016 01:01 PM, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
>>> On Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Stefan Berger
>>> <stefanb@...ux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
>>>> This patch implements a driver for supporting multiple emulated TPMs in a
>>>> system.
>>>>
>>>> The driver implements a device /dev/vtpmx that is used to created
>>>> a client device pair /dev/tpmX (e.g., /dev/tpm10) and a server side that
>>>> is accessed using a file descriptor returned by an ioctl.
>>>> The device /dev/tpmX is the usual TPM device created by the core TPM
>>>> driver. Applications or kernel subsystems can send TPM commands to it
>>>> and the corresponding server-side file descriptor receives these
>>>> commands and delivers them to an emulated TPM.
>>> Nifty!
>>>
>>> Is anyone considering writing a modification or replacement of
>>> trousers that creates claims the real tpm and exposes a vtpm that
>>> handles multiplexing internally?  Does the vtpm driver intelligently
>>> support multiple simultaneous clients?
>>
>> The vtpm driver allows to use an independent trousers instance in each
>> container.
>>
>> Using the VTPM_NEW_DEV ioctl the container mgmt. stack can create a
>> /dev/tpmX (X=0,1,2,...) device and a file descriptor. The file descriptor is
>> passed to a vTPM instance, the /dev/tpmX is moved into the container,
>> meaning a device with the same major/minor numbers is created in the
>> container. This then allows each container to talk to an independent vTPM.
>> The vTPM can either be 1.2 or 2.
> What I meant was:
>
> If two clients connect to the same vTPM slave node, can the master
> program tell requests from the two clients apart?  If so, great!  If
> not, then I'd consider that to be somewhat sad.

vTPM slave node being /dev/tpmX? TPM types of devices can currently only 
be opened by one application. This can for example be TSS/trousers, 
which then offers an API to applications for sending TPM commands. That 
only one application is allowed is a limitation of the existing driver.

    Stefan