Message-Id: <1274897088-8587-1-git-send-email-glommer@redhat.com>
Date:	Wed, 26 May 2010 14:04:48 -0400
From:	Glauber Costa <glommer@...hat.com>
To:	kvm@...r.kernel.org
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, avi@...hat.com, zamsden@...hat.com
Subject: [PATCH] Add Documentation/kvm/msr.txt

This patch adds a file that documents the usage of KVM-specific
MSRs.

Signed-off-by: Glauber Costa <glommer@...hat.com>
---
 Documentation/kvm/msr.txt |  115 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 files changed, 115 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/kvm/msr.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/kvm/msr.txt b/Documentation/kvm/msr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5110a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/kvm/msr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+KVM-specific MSRs.
+Glauber Costa <glommer@...hat.com>, Red Hat Inc, 2010
+=====================================================
+
+KVM makes use of some custom MSRs to service some requests.
+At present, this facility is only used by kvmclock.
+
+Custom MSRs have a range reserved for them, that goes from
+0x4b564d00 to 0x4b564dff. There are MSRs outside this area,
+but they are deprecated and their use is discouraged.
+
+Custom MSR list
+--------
+
+The current supported Custom MSR list is:
+
+MSR_KVM_WALL_CLOCK:  0x11
+
+	data: physical address of a memory area. This memory is expected to
+	hold a copy of the following structure:
+
+	struct pvclock_wall_clock {
+		u32   version;
+		u32   sec;
+		u32   nsec;
+	} __attribute__((__packed__));
+
+	whose data will be filled in by the hypervisor. The hypervisor will only
+	touch this data once, at the moment of MSR write. Users that want to
+	query this information more than once, have to write more than once to
+	this MSR. Fields has the following meaning:
+
+		version: guest has to check version before and after grabbing
+		time information, and check that they are both equal, and even.
+		An odd version indicates an in-progress update.
+
+		sec: number of seconds for wallclock.
+
+		nsec: number of nanoseconds for wallclock.
+
+	Note that, although MSRs are per-CPU entities, the effect of this
+	particular MSR is global.
+
+	Availability of this MSR must be checked via bit 0 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+	leaf prior to usage. 
+
+	This MSR falls outside the reserved KVM range, and may be removed in the
+	future. Its usage is deprecated.
+
+MSR_KVM_SYSTEM_TIME: 0x12
+
+	data: physical address of a memory area. This memory is expected to
+	hold a copy of the following structure:
+
+	struct pvclock_vcpu_time_info {
+		u32   version;
+		u32   pad0;
+		u64   tsc_timestamp;
+		u64   system_time;
+		u32   tsc_to_system_mul;
+		s8    tsc_shift;
+		u8    flags;
+		u8    pad[2];
+	} __attribute__((__packed__)); /* 32 bytes */
+
+	whose data will be filled in by the hypervisor periodically. Only one
+	write, or registration, is needed for each VCPU. The interval between
+	updates of this structure is arbitrary, and implementation-dependent.
+
+		version: guest has to check version before and after grabbing
+		time information, and check that they are both equal and even.
+		An odd version indicates an in-progress update.
+
+		tsc_timestamp: the tsc value at the current VCPU, at the time
+		of the update of this structure. Guests can subtract this value
+		from current tsc to derive a notion of elapsed time since the
+		structure update.
+
+		system_time: the current system time at the time this structure
+		was last updated. Unit is nanoseconds.
+
+		tsc_to_system_mul: a function of the tsc frequency. One has
+		to multiply any tsc-related quantity by this value to get
+		a value in nanoseconds, besides dividing by 2^tsc_shift
+
+		tsc_shift: cycle to nanosecond divider, as a power of two, to
+		allow for shift rights. One has to shift right any tsc-related
+		quantity by this value to get a value in nanoseconds, besides
+		multiplying by tsc_to_system_mul.
+
+		flags: bits in this field indicate extended capabilities
+		coordinated between the guest and the hypervisor. Availability
+		of specific flags has to be checked in 0x40000001 cpuid leaf.
+		Refer to cpuid.txt for details.
+
+	Availability of this MSR must be checked via bit 0 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+	leaf prior to usage. 
+
+	This MSR falls outside the reserved KVM range, and may be removed in the
+	future. Its usage is deprecated.
+
+MSR_KVM_WALL_CLOCK_NEW:   0x4b564d00
+
+	data and functioning: same as MSR_KVM_WALL_CLOCK. Use this instead.
+
+	Availability of this MSR must be checked via bit 3 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+	leaf prior to usage. 
+
+MSR_KVM_SYSTEM_TIME_NEW:  0x4b564d01
+
+	data and functioning: same as MSR_KVM_SYSTEM_TIME. Use this instead.
+
+	Availability of this MSR must be checked via bit 3 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+	leaf prior to usage. 
+
-- 
1.6.2.2

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