Re: [PATCH v5 03/26] x86/hyperv: Update 'struct hv_enlightened_vmcs' definition

[Sean Christopherson]

On Tue, Aug 23, 2022, Sean Christopherson wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 23, 2022, Vitaly Kuznetsov wrote:
> > >> In any case, what we need, is an option for VMM (read: QEMU) to create
> > >> the configuration with 'TscScaling' filtered out even KVM supports the
> > >> bit in eVMCS. This way the guest will be able to migrate backwards to an
> > >> older KVM which doesn't support it, i.e.
> > >> 
> > >> '-cpu CascadeLake-Sever,hv-evmcs'
> > >>  creates the 'origin' eVMCS configuration, no TscScaling
> > >> 
> > >> '-cpu CascadeLake-Sever,hv-evmcs,hv-evmcs-2022' creates the updated one.
> 
> Ah, I see what you're worried about.  Your concern is that QEMU will add a VMX
> feature to a predefined CPU model, but only later gain eVMCS support, and so
> "CascadeLake-Server,hv-evmcs" will do different things depending on the KVM
> version.
> 
> But again, that's already reality.  Run "-cpu CascadeLake-Server" against a KVM
> from before commits:
> 
>   28c1c9fabf48 ("KVM/VMX: Emulate MSR_IA32_ARCH_CAPABILITIES")
>   1eaafe91a0df ("kvm: x86: IA32_ARCH_CAPABILITIES is always supported")
> 
> and it will fail.  There are undoubtedly many other features that are similarly
> affected, just go back far enough in KVM time.

The one potential issue I see is that KVM currently silently hides TSC_SCALING
and PERF_GLOBAL_CTRL, i.e. migrating from new KVM to old KVM may "succeed" and
then later fail a nested VM-Entry.

PERF_GLOBAL_CTRL is solved because Microsoft has conveniently provided a CPUID
bit.

TSC_SCALING is unlikely to be a problem since it's so new, but if we're worried
about someone doing e.g. "-cpu CascadeLake-Server,hv-evmcs,+vmx-tsc-scaling", then
we can add a KVM quirk to silently hide TSC_SCALING from the guest when eVMCS is
enabled.