linux-kernel - RE: [PATCH 5/5] vfio-pci: Allow to mmap MSI-X table if interrupt remapping is supported

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Message-ID: <AADFC41AFE54684AB9EE6CBC0274A5D15F842653@SHSMSX101.ccr.corp.intel.com>
Date:	Tue, 3 May 2016 06:22:15 +0000
From:	"Tian, Kevin" <kevin.tian@...el.com>
To:	Yongji Xie <xyjxie@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	"kvm@...r.kernel.org" <kvm@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-pci@...r.kernel.org" <linux-pci@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org" <linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org>,
	"iommu@...ts.linux-foundation.org" <iommu@...ts.linux-foundation.org>
CC:	"alex.williamson@...hat.com" <alex.williamson@...hat.com>,
	"bhelgaas@...gle.com" <bhelgaas@...gle.com>,
	"aik@...abs.ru" <aik@...abs.ru>,
	"benh@...nel.crashing.org" <benh@...nel.crashing.org>,
	"paulus@...ba.org" <paulus@...ba.org>,
	"mpe@...erman.id.au" <mpe@...erman.id.au>,
	"joro@...tes.org" <joro@...tes.org>,
	"warrier@...ux.vnet.ibm.com" <warrier@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	"zhong@...ux.vnet.ibm.com" <zhong@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	"nikunj@...ux.vnet.ibm.com" <nikunj@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	"eric.auger@...aro.org" <eric.auger@...aro.org>,
	"will.deacon@....com" <will.deacon@....com>,
	"gwshan@...ux.vnet.ibm.com" <gwshan@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	"David.Laight@...LAB.COM" <David.Laight@...LAB.COM>,
	"alistair@...ple.id.au" <alistair@...ple.id.au>,
	"ruscur@...sell.cc" <ruscur@...sell.cc>
Subject: RE: [PATCH 5/5] vfio-pci: Allow to mmap MSI-X table if interrupt
 remapping is supported

> From: Yongji Xie [mailto:xyjxie@...ux.vnet.ibm.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2016 2:08 PM
> 
> On 2016/5/3 13:34, Tian, Kevin wrote:
> 
> >> From: Yongji Xie
> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 8:43 PM
> >>
> >> This patch enables mmapping MSI-X tables if hardware supports
> >> interrupt remapping which can ensure that a given pci device
> >> can only shoot the MSIs assigned for it.
> >>
> >> With MSI-X table mmapped, we also need to expose the
> >> read/write interface which will be used to access MSI-X table.
> >>
> >> Signed-off-by: Yongji Xie <xyjxie@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
> > A curious question here. Does "allow to mmap MSI-X" essentially
> > mean that KVM guest can directly read/write physical MSI-X
> > structure then?
> >
> > Thanks
> > Kevin
> >
> 
> Here we just allow to mmap MSI-X table in kernel. It doesn't
> mean all KVM guest can directly read/write physical MSI-X
> structure. This should be decided by QEMU. For PPC64
> platform, we would allow to passthrough the MSI-X table
> because we know guest kernel would not write physical
> MSI-X structure when enabling MSI.
> 

A bit confused here. If guest kernel doesn't need to write
physical MSI-X structure, what's the point of passing through
the table then?

I think the key whether MSI-X table can be passed through
is related to where hypervisor control is deployed. At least
for x86:

- When irq remapping is not enabled, host/hypervisor needs
to control physical interrupt message including vector/dest/etc.
directly in MSI-X structure, so we cannot allow a guest to 
access it;

- when irq remapping is enabled, host/hypervisor can control
interrupt routing in irq remapping table. However MSI-X
also needs to be configured as remappable format. In this
manner we also cannot allow direct access from guest.

The only sane case to pass through MSI-X structure, is a
mechanism similar to irq remapping but w/o need to change
original MSI-X format so direct access from guest side is
safe. Is it the case in PPC64?

Thanks
Kevin