linux-kernel - [PATCH 0/2] Improve firmware loading times on AMD and Intel

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-Id: <1382304926-1641-1-git-send-email-prarit@redhat.com>
Date:	Sun, 20 Oct 2013 17:35:24 -0400
From:	Prarit Bhargava <prarit@...hat.com>
To:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Cc:	Prarit Bhargava <prarit@...hat.com>, x86@...nel.org,
	herrmann.der.user@...glemail.com, ming.lei@...onical.com,
	tigran@...azian.fsnet.co.uk
Subject: [PATCH 0/2] Improve firmware loading times on AMD and Intel

If no firmware is found on the system that matches the processor, the
microcode module can take hours to load.  For example on recent kernels
when loading the microcode module on an Intel system:

[  239.532116] microcode: CPU0 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[  299.693447] microcode: CPU1 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[  359.821972] microcode: CPU2 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[  419.960263] microcode: CPU3 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[  480.090024] microcode: CPU4 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
...
[ 2825.151364] microcode: CPU43 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[ 2885.280863] microcode: CPU44 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[ 2945.410719] microcode: CPU45 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[ 3005.540541] microcode: CPU46 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
[ 3065.670405] microcode: CPU47 sig=0x306e4, pf=0x1, revision=0x413
...
etc.

Since this takes 1 minute per cpu, the microcode module requires two hours to
load on a 120 cpu Intel box.

Similarly there is a 60 second "hang" when loading the AMD module, which
isn't as bad as the Intel situation, but it is a noticeable delay in the
system boot.

Using request_firmware_nowait() seems more appropriate here and then we
can avoid these delays, resulting in very quick load times for the
microcode.

Signed-off-by: Prarit Bhargava <prarit@...hat.com>
Cc: x86@...nel.org
Cc: herrmann.der.user@...glemail.com
Cc: ming.lei@...onical.com
Cc: tigran@...azian.fsnet.co.uk

Prarit Bhargava (2):
  firmware, fix request_firmware_nowait() freeze with no uevent
  intel_microcode, Fix long microcode load time when firmware file is
    missing

 arch/x86/include/asm/microcode.h  |    7 ++++
 arch/x86/kernel/microcode_amd.c   |   79 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------
 arch/x86/kernel/microcode_core.c  |    7 ++++
 arch/x86/kernel/microcode_intel.c |   67 +++++++++++++++++++++++++------
 drivers/base/firmware_class.c     |    6 ++-
 5 files changed, 132 insertions(+), 34 deletions(-)

-- 
1.7.9.3

--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/