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Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 14:53:36 -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 v2] Add Documentation/kvm/msr.txt
This patch adds a file that documents the usage of KVM-specific
MSRs.
[ v2: added comments from Randy ]
Signed-off-by: Glauber Costa <glommer@...hat.com>
---
Documentation/kvm/msr.txt | 117 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 files changed, 117 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..daae6f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/kvm/msr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+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_NEW: 0x4b564d00
+
+ 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 is only
+ guaranteed to update this data at the moment of MSR write.
+ Users that want to reliably query this information more than once have
+ to write more than once to this MSR. Fields have the following meanings:
+
+ 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 3 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+ leaf prior to usage.
+
+MSR_KVM_SYSTEM_TIME_NEW: 0x4b564d01
+
+ 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.
+ Fields have the following meanings:
+
+ 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 3 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+ leaf prior to usage.
+
+
+MSR_KVM_WALL_CLOCK: 0x11
+
+ data and functioning: same as MSR_KVM_WALL_CLOCK_NEW. Use that instead.
+
+ This MSR falls outside the reserved KVM range and may be removed in the
+ future. Its usage is deprecated.
+
+ Availability of this MSR must be checked via bit 0 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+ leaf prior to usage.
+
+MSR_KVM_SYSTEM_TIME: 0x12
+
+ data and functioning: same as MSR_KVM_SYSTEM_TIME_NEW. Use that instead.
+
+ This MSR falls outside the reserved KVM range and may be removed in the
+ future. Its usage is deprecated.
+
+ Availability of this MSR must be checked via bit 0 in 0x4000001 cpuid
+ leaf prior to usage.
+
--
1.6.2.2
--
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