Re: [PATCH] KVM: x86: clean up conditions for asynchronous page fault handling

From: Paolo Bonzini
Date: Thu Jun 13 2019 - 13:31:52 EST


On 13/06/19 19:12, Radim KrÄmÃÅ wrote:
> 2019-06-13 13:03+0200, Paolo Bonzini:
>> Even when asynchronous page fault is disabled, KVM does not want to pause
>> the host if a guest triggers a page fault; instead it will put it into
>> an artificial HLT state that allows running other host processes while
>> allowing interrupt delivery into the guest.
>>
>> However, the way this feature is triggered is a bit confusing.
>> First, it is not used for page faults while a nested guest is
>> running: but this is not an issue since the artificial halt
>> is completely invisible to the guest, either L1 or L2. Second,
>> it is used even if kvm_halt_in_guest() returns true; in this case,
>> the guest probably should not pay the additional latency cost of the
>> artificial halt, and thus we should handle the page fault in a
>> completely synchronous way.
>
> The same reasoning would apply to kvm_mwait_in_guest(), so I would
> disable APF with it as well.

True, on the other hand it's not a very sensible condition to have
kvm_mwait_in_guest but not kvm_halt_in_guest.

>> By introducing a new function kvm_can_deliver_async_pf, this patch
>> commonizes the code that chooses whether to deliver an async page fault
>> (kvm_arch_async_page_not_present) and the code that chooses whether a
>> page fault should be handled synchronously (kvm_can_do_async_pf).
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> ---
>> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
>> @@ -9775,6 +9775,36 @@ static int apf_get_user(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u32 *val)
>> +bool kvm_can_do_async_pf(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
>> +{
>> + if (unlikely(!lapic_in_kernel(vcpu) ||
>> + kvm_event_needs_reinjection(vcpu) ||
>> + vcpu->arch.exception.pending))
>> + return false;
>> +
>> + if (kvm_hlt_in_guest(vcpu->kvm) && !kvm_can_deliver_async_pf(vcpu))
>> + return false;
>> +
>> + /*
>> + * If interrupts are off we cannot even use an artificial
>> + * halt state.
>
> Can't we? The artificial halt state would be canceled by the host page
> fault handler.

hlt allows interrupts to be injected, which of course is not possible in
an interrupt-off region. But, the only difference is that halt_poll is
not obeyed for synchronous page fault handling; either way, the vCPU
thread stays in the kernel but it is scheduled out while the page fault
is being handled. This is only for lapic_in_kernel so hlt does not
leave KVM_RUN.

>> + */
>> + return kvm_x86_ops->interrupt_allowed(vcpu);
>> @@ -9783,19 +9813,26 @@ void kvm_arch_async_page_not_present(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
>> trace_kvm_async_pf_not_present(work->arch.token, work->gva);
>> kvm_add_async_pf_gfn(vcpu, work->arch.gfn);
>>
>> - if (!(vcpu->arch.apf.msr_val & KVM_ASYNC_PF_ENABLED) ||
>> - (vcpu->arch.apf.send_user_only &&
>> - kvm_x86_ops->get_cpl(vcpu) == 0))
>> + if (!kvm_can_deliver_async_pf(vcpu) ||
>> + apf_put_user(vcpu, KVM_PV_REASON_PAGE_NOT_PRESENT)) {
>> + /*
>> + * It is not possible to deliver a paravirtualized asynchronous
>> + * page fault, but putting the guest in an artificial halt state
>> + * can be beneficial nevertheless: if an interrupt arrives, we
>> + * can deliver it timely and perhaps the guest will schedule
>> + * another process. When the instruction that triggered a page
>> + * fault is retried, hopefully the page will be ready in the host.
>> + */
>> kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_APF_HALT, vcpu);
>
> A return is missing here, to prevent the delivery of PV APF.
> (I'd probably keep the if/else.)

Fixed in v2 (keeping the if/else but swapping the two arms).

Paolo

> Thanks.
>
>> - else if (!apf_put_user(vcpu, KVM_PV_REASON_PAGE_NOT_PRESENT)) {
>> - fault.vector = PF_VECTOR;
>> - fault.error_code_valid = true;
>> - fault.error_code = 0;
>> - fault.nested_page_fault = false;
>> - fault.address = work->arch.token;
>> - fault.async_page_fault = true;
>> - kvm_inject_page_fault(vcpu, &fault);
>
>> }
>> +
>> + fault.vector = PF_VECTOR;
>> + fault.error_code_valid = true;
>> + fault.error_code = 0;
>> + fault.nested_page_fault = false;
>> + fault.address = work->arch.token;
>> + fault.async_page_fault = true;
>> + kvm_inject_page_fault(vcpu, &fault);
>> }
>>
>> void kvm_arch_async_page_present(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
>> --
>> 1.8.3.1
>>