linux-kernel - [PATCH] x86/tdx: Mark TSC reliable

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Date:   Tue,  8 Aug 2023 19:23:20 +0300
From:   "Kirill A. Shutemov" <kirill.shutemov@...ux.intel.com>
To:     Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...el.com>,
        Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>,
        Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>
Cc:     Kuppuswamy Sathyanarayanan 
        <sathyanarayanan.kuppuswamy@...ux.intel.com>,
        Elena Reshetova <elena.reshetova@...el.com>,
        Jun Nakajima <jun.nakajima@...el.com>, x86@...nel.org,
        linux-coco@...ts.linux.dev, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        "Kirill A. Shutemov" <kirill.shutemov@...ux.intel.com>
Subject: [PATCH] x86/tdx: Mark TSC reliable

In x86 virtualization environments, including TDX, RDTSC instruction is
handled without causing a VM exit, resulting in minimal overhead and
jitters. On the other hand, other clock sources (such as HPET, ACPI
timer, APIC, etc.) necessitate VM exits to implement, resulting in more
fluctuating measurements compared to TSC. Thus, those clock sources are
not effective for calibrating TSC.

In TD guests, TSC is virtualized by the TDX module, which ensures:

  - Virtual TSC values are consistent among all the TD’s VCPUs;
  - Monotonously incrementing for any single VCPU;
  - The frequency is determined by TD configuration. The host TSC is
    invariant on platforms where TDX is available.

Use TSC as the only reliable clock source in TD guests, bypassing
unstable calibration.

Signed-off-by: Kirill A. Shutemov <kirill.shutemov@...ux.intel.com>
---
 arch/x86/coco/tdx/tdx.c | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/arch/x86/coco/tdx/tdx.c b/arch/x86/coco/tdx/tdx.c
index 1d6b863c42b0..1583ec64d92e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/coco/tdx/tdx.c
+++ b/arch/x86/coco/tdx/tdx.c
@@ -769,6 +769,9 @@ void __init tdx_early_init(void)
 
 	setup_force_cpu_cap(X86_FEATURE_TDX_GUEST);
 
+	/* TSC is the only reliable clock in TDX guest */
+	setup_force_cpu_cap(X86_FEATURE_TSC_RELIABLE);
+
 	cc_vendor = CC_VENDOR_INTEL;
 	tdx_parse_tdinfo(&cc_mask);
 	cc_set_mask(cc_mask);
-- 
2.41.0