linux-kernel - RE: [PATCH v2] Added "Preserve Boot Time Support"

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Date:   Tue, 16 May 2017 08:22:29 +0000
From:   "Mirea, Bogdan-Stefan" <Bogdan-Stefan_Mirea@...tor.com>
To:     Oleksij Rempel <ore@...gutronix.de>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "john.stultz@...aro.org" <john.stultz@...aro.org>,
        "tglx@...utronix.de" <tglx@...utronix.de>
CC:     "kernel@...gutronix.de" <kernel@...gutronix.de>
Subject: RE: [PATCH v2] Added "Preserve Boot Time Support"

Hello,

Any input on this topic?

Kind Regards,
Bogdan

On Thursday, May 04, 2017 1:55 PM Bogdan Mirea wrote:
> 
> Hi Oleksij,
> 
> On Thursday, May 04, 2017 12:27 PM, Oleksij Rempel wrote:
> > Hi Bogdan,
> >
> > are there any example what and how bootloader should do to provide
> > correct values?
> 
> I will give you an example with a real behavior on Renesas RCAR Gen3
> Salvator-x:
> 
> We have an ARM64 SOC with the following boot stages:
> ARM Trusted Firmware BL2 -> ARM Trusted Firmware BL31 -> U-Boot -> Linux
> 
> [First]
> On ARM Trusted Firmware BL31 "programs the CNTFRQ_EL0 register with the
> clock frequency of the system counter, which is provided by the
> platform"(Aarch64 Bl31 documentation [1]). And after this step the timer
> is up and running so every timer cycle is counted in the CCNT register.
> 
> [Step A]
> After this step BL31 will load and start execution of U-Boot(BL33). In
> U-Boot we will spend for example 4 seconds and then load and start
> execution of Linux Kernel.
> 
> [Step B]
> Linux Kernel starts and after kernel timer is initiallized the
> sched_clock_register will be called.
> 
> [Step C]
> Testing with "$: uptime > /dev/kmsg"
> 
> 
> 
> Test 1: Testing with default kernel (no patch added)
> Log will be:
> [Step A]
> [    0.165573]
> [    0.167127] U-Boot 2015.04 (Apr 06 2017 - 12:28:41)
> ...
> [    4.364556]
> [    4.366065] Starting kernel ...
> 
> [Step B]
> ...
> [    0.000000] clocksource: arch_sys_counter: mask: 0xffffffffffffff
> max_cycles: 0x1ec02923e, max_idle_ns: 440795202125 ns
> [    0.000003] sched_clock: 56 bits at 8MHz, resolution 120ns, wraps
> every 2199023255496ns
> [    0.000214] Console: colour dummy device 80x25
> [    0.000594] console [tty0] enabled
> ...
> [Step C]
> $ uptime  > /dev/kmsg
> [   9.148458]  00:00:09 up 0 min,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
> 
> There is no inconsistency between kmsg and uptime, but from [Step B] we
> observe that the time spent before kernel start is not added.
> 
> 
> 
> Test 2: Testing only with preserve boot time "kernel/time/sched_clock"
> modifications:
> Log will be:
> [Step A]
> [    0.164567]
> [    0.166122] U-Boot 2015.04 (Apr 06 2017 - 12:28:41)
> ...
> [    4.357793]
> [    4.359301] Starting kernel ...
> 
> [Step B]
> ...
> [    0.000000] clocksource: arch_sys_counter: mask: 0xffffffffffffff
> max_cycles: 0x1ec02923e, max_idle_ns: 440795202125 ns
> [    4.641512] sched_clock: 56 bits at 8MHz, resolution 120ns, wraps
> every 2199023255496ns
> [    4.641724] Console: colour dummy device 80x25
> [    4.642105] console [tty0] enabled
> ...
> 
> [Step C]
> uptime  > /dev/kmsg
> [   13.933217]  00:00:09 up 0 min,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
> 
> We can see that the preserve boottime changes in
> "kernel/time/sched_clock" updates the kmsg time [Step B], but there is
> an inconsistency between kmsg time and uptime since uptime is not
> updated accordingly to the timer's CCNT value [Step C]. The uptime
> starts from 0, and dt~=4sec inconsistency between kmsg and uptime is
> observable.
> 
> 
> 
> Test 3: Testing with the full preserve boot time support with
> "kernel/time/sched_clock" and "drivers/clocksource/arm_arch_timer":
> Log will be:
> [Step A]
> [    0.164564]
> [    0.166119] U-Boot 2015.04 (Apr 06 2017 - 12:28:41)
> ...
> [    4.357751]
> [    4.359259] Starting kernel ...
> [Step B]
> ...
> [    0.000000] clocksource: arch_sys_counter: mask: 0xffffffffffffff
> max_cycles: 0x1ec02923e, max_idle_ns: 440795202125 ns
> [    4.638667] sched_clock: 56 bits at 8MHz, resolution 120ns, wraps
> every 2199023255496ns
> [    4.638884] Console: colour dummy device 80x25
> [    4.639265] console [tty0] enabled
> ...
> 
> [Step C]
> $ uptime > /dev/kmsg
> [   17.728591]  00:00:17 up 0 min,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
> 
> We can observe that the patch updates kmsg time with the time spent
> before kernel starts [Step B]("kernel/time/sched_clock") and also
> updates kernel uptime("drivers/clocksource/arm_arch_timer") in [Step C]
> no inconsistency being present between kmsg and uptime.
> 
> 
> Best Regards,
> Bogdan
> [1]
> https://github.com/ARM-software/arm-trusted-
> firmware/blob/master/docs/firmware-design.md