Re: [PATCH v4 04/10] KVM/x86: intel_pmu_lbr_enable

From: Liang, Kan
Date: Wed Jan 02 2019 - 11:33:15 EST




On 12/26/2018 4:25 AM, Wei Wang wrote:
+
+ /*
+ * It could be possible that people have vcpus of old model run on
+ * physcal cpus of newer model, for example a BDW guest on a SKX
+ * machine (but not possible to be the other way around).
+ * The BDW guest may not get accurate results on a SKX machine as it
+ * only reads 16 entries of the lbr stack while there are 32 entries
+ * of recordings. So we currently forbid the lbr enabling when the
+ * vcpu and physical cpu see different lbr stack entries.

I think it's not enough to only check number of entries. The LBR from/to MSRs may be different even the number of entries is the same, e.g SLM and KNL.

+ */
+ switch (vcpu_model) {

That's a duplicate of intel_pmu_init(). I think it's better to factor out the common part if you want to check LBR MSRs and entries. Then we don't need to add the same codes in two different places when enabling new platforms.

Actually, I think we may just support LBR for guest if it has the identical CPU model as host. It should be good enough for now.

Thanks,
Kan
+ case INTEL_FAM6_CORE2_MEROM:
+ case INTEL_FAM6_CORE2_MEROM_L: