linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 3/3] ghes_edac: add platform check to enable ghes

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Message-ID: <1500584265.2042.39.camel@hpe.com>
Date:   Thu, 20 Jul 2017 21:07:03 +0000
From:   "Kani, Toshimitsu" <toshi.kani@....com>
To:     "mchehab@...pensource.com" <mchehab@...pensource.com>
CC:     "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "tglx@...utronix.de" <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        "mchehab@...nel.org" <mchehab@...nel.org>,
        "rjw@...ysocki.net" <rjw@...ysocki.net>,
        "srinivas.pandruvada@...ux.intel.com" 
        <srinivas.pandruvada@...ux.intel.com>,
        "bp@...en8.de" <bp@...en8.de>,
        "tony.luck@...el.com" <tony.luck@...el.com>,
        "lenb@...nel.org" <lenb@...nel.org>,
        "linux-acpi@...r.kernel.org" <linux-acpi@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-edac@...r.kernel.org" <linux-edac@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 3/3] ghes_edac: add platform check to enable ghes_edac

On Thu, 2017-07-20 at 17:15 -0300, Mauro Carvalho Chehab wrote:
> Em Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:50:03 +0000
> "Kani, Toshimitsu" <toshi.kani@....com> escreveu:
 :
> > Firmware has better knowledge about the platform and can provide
> > better RAS when implemented properly.  I agree that user
> > experiences may vary on platforms.
> 
> It may have a better knowledge, when the vendor ships different BIOS
> for platforms with different motherboard silkscreens, but a lot of
> vendors just use the same BIOS on different models, with the same
> information at "Locator" and "Bank Locator" data at DMI tables,
> that don't match what's printed at the board's silkscreen.
> 
> So, GHES ends by exposing wrong data. Also, such BIOS fail
> to properly expose such knowledge to drivers/userspace.

I see.  Yeah, I can see such problems could be overlooked since normal
tests run just fine even if there is a mismatch in such info...

> On the discussions I had with HP, back in 2012, the idea was to try 
> to have some sort of way for the GHES driver to query the BIOS
> on a reliable way, in order to get its layout, in a way
> that tools like ras-mc-ctl would properly report the memory
> configuration (with --layout) and the motherboard silkscreen
> labels (with --print-labels). Unfortunately, at least on that
> time, the discussions with HP didn't proceed.

Thanks for the info.  I hope we can enable it this time around.
-Toshi