linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 02/13] KVM: nSVM: don't call nested_sync_control_from

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Date:   Thu, 17 Nov 2022 20:04:54 +0000
From:   Sean Christopherson <seanjc@...gle.com>
To:     Maxim Levitsky <mlevitsk@...hat.com>
Cc:     kvm@...r.kernel.org, Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@...hat.com>,
        Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>,
        "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>,
        Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
        Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        Sandipan Das <sandipan.das@....com>,
        Daniel Sneddon <daniel.sneddon@...ux.intel.com>,
        Jing Liu <jing2.liu@...el.com>,
        Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@...nel.org>,
        Wyes Karny <wyes.karny@....com>,
        Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>,
        Babu Moger <babu.moger@....com>,
        Pawan Gupta <pawan.kumar.gupta@...ux.intel.com>,
        Jim Mattson <jmattson@...gle.com>, x86@...nel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 02/13] KVM: nSVM: don't call
 nested_sync_control_from_vmcb02 on each VM exit

On Thu, Nov 17, 2022, Maxim Levitsky wrote:
> Calling nested_sync_control_from_vmcb02 on each VM exit (nested or not),
> was an attempt to keep the int_ctl field in the vmcb12 cache
> up to date on each VM exit.

This doesn't mesh with the reasoning in commit 2d8a42be0e2b ("KVM: nSVM: synchronize
VMCB controls updated by the processor on every vmexit"), which states that the
goal is to keep svm->nested.ctl.* synchronized, not vmcb12.  Or is nested.ctl the
cache you are referring to?

> However all other fields in the vmcb12 cache are not kept up to	 date,

IIUC, this isn't technically true.  They are up-to-date because they're never
modified by hardware.

> therefore for consistency it is better to do this on a nested VM exit only.

Again, IIUC, this actually introduces an inconsistency because it leaves stale
state in svm->nested.ctl, whereas the existing code ensures all state in
svm->nested.ctl is fresh immediately after non-nested VM-Exit.