Re: [PATCH v8 3/3] cpufreq: CPPC: Reflect the OSPM nominal in boost and limits

From: Christian Loehle

Date: Tue Nov 03 2026 - 12:13:14 EST


On 10/30/26 17:27, Sumit Gupta wrote:
> Boost is the performance range above nominal, so lowering the OSPM
> Nominal Performance enlarges the boost range and drops the non-boost
> ceiling. Keep the policy limits consistent with the register.
>
> Add cppc_cpufreq_effective_nominal(), which returns the OSPM Nominal
> Performance when set and the platform nominal otherwise. Use it for the
> non-boost ceiling in set_boost(), and to update the policy limits when
> ospm_nominal_freq is written.
>
> The cpufreq core caps scaling_max_freq with a per-policy QoS request,
> boost_freq_req, that it sets to cpuinfo.max_freq and refreshes only when
> boost is toggled. A write to ospm_nominal_freq changes cpuinfo.max_freq
> without toggling boost, so cppc_cpufreq_update_nominal_limits() updates
> the request itself, rather than leaving scaling_max_freq at the old
> nominal.
>
> When boost is enabled the ceiling is highest_perf, not the nominal, so
> the update is skipped. set_boost() applies the new nominal when boost is
> turned off.
>
> A platform with highest_perf == nominal_perf has no boost range at boot.
> Lowering the OSPM nominal from sysfs can create one. The core, however,
> adds its boost FREQ_QOS_MAX request only at policy setup, and only if
> boost_supported is already set. Set boost_supported in init() when the
> OSPM register is supported and highest_perf > lowest_perf. Boost can
> then be enabled after the nominal is lowered.
>
> Suggested-by: Pierre Gondois <pierre.gondois@xxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Sumit Gupta <sumitg@xxxxxxxxxx>

Thinking out loud here:
I'm curious if there's actually a use-case for this, presumably once we
let userspace effectively dictate boost allocation, we practically expect
userspace to sort out scheduling, too (e.g. by pinning?) and therefore this
becomes largely irrelevant?

> ---
> .../ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu | 4 ++
> drivers/cpufreq/cppc_cpufreq.c | 72 ++++++++++++++++++-
> 2 files changed, 73 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu
> index 6af7fa86e44c..d219fc27a0c9 100644
> --- a/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu
> +++ b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu
> @@ -362,6 +362,10 @@ Description: OSPM Nominal Performance (kHz)
> Write a value in kHz, between the frequencies corresponding to
> Lowest Performance and Nominal Performance.
>
> + While boost is disabled, cpuinfo_max_freq is set to this value
> + and scaling_max_freq cannot go above it. While boost is
> + enabled, cpuinfo_max_freq is the Highest Performance frequency.
> +
> The register cannot be read back, so a read returns the last
> value written, rounded to a performance level. It returns
> "<unset>" before the first write. Reads and writes fail with
> diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cppc_cpufreq.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cppc_cpufreq.c
> index 662397526433..7cac31de7325 100644
> --- a/drivers/cpufreq/cppc_cpufreq.c
> +++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cppc_cpufreq.c
> @@ -915,6 +915,29 @@ static void cppc_cpufreq_put_cpu_data(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
> policy->driver_data = NULL;
> }
>
> +/*
> + * Return the non-boost performance ceiling. This is the OSPM Nominal
> + * Performance the driver last requested, or the platform-reported Nominal
> + * Performance if none was requested.
> + *
> + * The register is write-only, so the requested value comes from the
> + * software-tracked state rather than from hardware.
> + */
> +static u32 cppc_cpufreq_effective_nominal(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
> +{
> + const struct cppc_policy_state *st = cppc_cpufreq_policy_state(policy);
> + struct cppc_cpudata *cpu_data = policy->driver_data;
> + u64 ospm_nominal;
> +
> + ospm_nominal = st->regs[CPPC_SAVED_OSPM_NOMINAL_PERF][CPPC_SAVED_REQUESTED];
> +
> + /* U64_MAX means OSPM has not selected a nominal level. */
> + if (ospm_nominal == U64_MAX)
> + return cpu_data->perf_caps.nominal_perf;
> +
> + return (u32)ospm_nominal;
> +}
> +
> static int cppc_cpufreq_cpu_init(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
> {
> unsigned int cpu = policy->cpu;
> @@ -974,9 +997,14 @@ static int cppc_cpufreq_cpu_init(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
>
> /*
> * If 'highest_perf' is greater than 'nominal_perf', we assume CPU Boost
> - * is supported.
> + * is supported. A writable OSPM Nominal Performance register can also
> + * open a boost range at runtime by lowering the nominal, so assume
> + * boost is supported in that case too, letting the core register its
> + * QoS request up front.
> */
> - if (caps->highest_perf > caps->nominal_perf)
> + if (caps->highest_perf > caps->nominal_perf ||
> + (caps->highest_perf > caps->lowest_perf &&
> + cppc_ospm_nominal_perf_supported(cpu)))
> policy->boost_supported = true;
>
> /*
> @@ -1280,11 +1308,12 @@ static int cppc_cpufreq_set_boost(struct cpufreq_policy *policy, int state)
> {
> struct cppc_cpudata *cpu_data = policy->driver_data;
> struct cppc_perf_caps *caps = &cpu_data->perf_caps;
> + u32 nominal = cppc_cpufreq_effective_nominal(policy);
>
> if (state)
> policy->cpuinfo.max_freq = cppc_perf_to_khz(caps, caps->highest_perf);
> else
> - policy->cpuinfo.max_freq = cppc_perf_to_khz(caps, caps->nominal_perf);
> + policy->cpuinfo.max_freq = cppc_perf_to_khz(caps, nominal);
>
> return 0;
> }
> @@ -1494,6 +1523,41 @@ static int cppc_get_perf_limited_filtered(int cpu, u64 *perf_limited)
> CPPC_CPUFREQ_ATTR_RW_U64(perf_limited, cppc_get_perf_limited_filtered,
> cppc_set_perf_limited)
>
> +/*
> + * While boost is disabled, the nominal is the ceiling. Set cpuinfo.max_freq to
> + * it and update the core's boost_freq_req to match. The core only syncs
> + * boost_freq_req when boost is enabled or disabled, so a plain nominal change
> + * must update it here. Without that, raising the nominal again would leave the
> + * stale request capping the policy.
> + *
> + * Refresh the limits directly rather than leave it to the QoS notifier, which
> + * only schedules the update, so the new ceiling is in place once the write
> + * returns. The sysfs store path holds policy->rwsem, which the refresh needs.

Interestingly the global boost toggle doesn't seem to hold policy->rwsem when iterating
over the policies. That seems to be an oversight, I'll send a patch.

The rest looks okay to me FWIW.

> + */
> +static void cppc_cpufreq_update_nominal_limits(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
> +{
> + struct cppc_cpudata *cpu_data = policy->driver_data;
> + u32 nominal;
> + int ret;
> +
> + if (policy->boost_enabled)
> + return;
> +
> + nominal = cppc_cpufreq_effective_nominal(policy);
> + policy->cpuinfo.max_freq = cppc_perf_to_khz(&cpu_data->perf_caps,
> + nominal);
> +
> + if (freq_qos_request_active(&policy->boost_freq_req)) {
> + ret = freq_qos_update_request(&policy->boost_freq_req,
> + policy->cpuinfo.max_freq);
> + if (ret < 0)
> + pr_debug("Failed to update boost limit on CPU%u (%d)\n",
> + policy->cpu, ret);
> + }
> +
> + refresh_frequency_limits(policy);
> +}> +
> static ssize_t show_ospm_nominal_freq(struct cpufreq_policy *policy, char *buf)
> {
> const struct cppc_policy_state *st = cppc_cpufreq_policy_state(policy);
> @@ -1552,6 +1616,8 @@ static ssize_t store_ospm_nominal_freq(struct cpufreq_policy *policy,
> st->regs[CPPC_SAVED_OSPM_NOMINAL_PERF][CPPC_SAVED_FIRMWARE] =
> cpu_data->perf_caps.nominal_perf;
>
> + cppc_cpufreq_update_nominal_limits(policy);
> +
> return count;
> }
>