linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] perf/x86/intel: ignore CondChgd bit to avoid false NMI handling

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Message-ID: <20140616152147.GI177152@redhat.com>
Date:	Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:21:47 -0400
From:	Don Zickus <dzickus@...hat.com>
To:	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
Cc:	HATAYAMA Daisuke <d.hatayama@...fujitsu.com>, acme@...nel.org,
	mingo@...hat.com, paulus@...ba.org, hpa@...or.com,
	tglx@...utronix.de, x86@...nel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	matt@...sole-pimps.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] perf/x86/intel: ignore CondChgd bit to avoid false NMI
 handling

On Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 09:37:16AM +0200, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 04:00:11PM +0900, HATAYAMA Daisuke wrote:
> > Also, I checked cpuid on the system with Neharlem processor where I
> > have never seen CondChg bit is set.
> > 
> > [root@...alhost ~]# ./cpuid -r
> > CPU 0:
> >    0x00000000 0x00: eax=0x0000000b ebx=0x756e6547 ecx=0x6c65746e edx=0x49656e69
> >    0x00000001 0x00: eax=0x000206e6 ebx=0x40200800 ecx=0x00bce3bd edx=0xbfebfbff
> > <snip>
> >    0x0000000a 0x00: eax=0x07300403 ebx=0x00000044 ecx=0x00000000 edx=0x00000603
> >                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > So, cpuid tells that CondChg bit is supported on this processor, too.
> 
> Yeah, I can't remember ever seeing that bit on nhm/wsm either. Weird
> stuff that.
> 
> > > In any case, the proposed patch seems fine, just needs a better
> > > changelog.
> > > 
> > 
> > I see.
> > 
> > I'll write that the problem is that any NMI could be robbed by NMI
> > watchdog explicitly. Now only patch title says this explicitly. This
> > is your first comment.
> 
> Yeah, since that is the actual problem, its good to be clear on that.
> 
> > About CondChgd bit, I cannot write more than I see on actual
> > system. If it's necessary to describe more about CondChgd bit, it
> > would be appreciated if someone tell me more information about it.
> 
> I think we've found all 2 sentences the SDM has about that and unless
> someone from Intel is going to come and explain why they wasted precious
> silicon on this I suppose it will remain a mystery. No need to update on
> that.

Just to add to the mix, we (Red Hat) has a customer with the same
problem.  I told them to fight it out with Intel to figure out why that
bit is non-zero at boot.  Partly because I didn't feel like send a patch
upstream and feel the wrath of Peter Z. descend upon me. :-)

So if this patch is acceptable, I would ack it as it fixes our customer's
problem too.

Cheers,
Don

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