Re: [PATCH 1/2] arm64, kdump: enforce to take 4G as the crashkernel low memory end

[Baoquan He]

On 09/08/22 at 09:33pm, Baoquan He wrote:
> On 09/06/22 at 03:05pm, Ard Biesheuvel wrote:
> > On Mon, 5 Sept 2022 at 14:08, Baoquan He <bhe@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > >
> > > On 09/05/22 at 01:28pm, Mike Rapoport wrote:
> > > > On Thu, Sep 01, 2022 at 08:25:54PM +0800, Baoquan He wrote:
> > > > > On 09/01/22 at 10:24am, Mike Rapoport wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > max_zone_phys() only handles cases when CONFIG_ZONE_DMA/DMA32 enabled,
> > > > > the disabledCONFIG_ZONE_DMA/DMA32 case is not included. I can change
> > > > > it like:
> > > > >
> > > > > static phys_addr_t __init crash_addr_low_max(void)
> > > > > {
> > > > >         phys_addr_t low_mem_mask = U32_MAX;
> > > > >         phys_addr_t phys_start = memblock_start_of_DRAM();
> > > > >
> > > > >         if ((!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ZONE_DMA) && !IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ZONE_DMA32)) ||
> > > > >              (phys_start > U32_MAX))
> > > > >                 low_mem_mask = PHYS_ADDR_MAX;
> > > > >
> > > > >         return low_mem_mast + 1;
> > > > > }
> > > > >
> > > > > or add the disabled CONFIG_ZONE_DMA/DMA32 case into crash_addr_low_max()
> > > > > as you suggested. Which one do you like better?
> > > > >
> > > > > static phys_addr_t __init crash_addr_low_max(void)
> > > > > {
> > > > >         if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ZONE_DMA) && !IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ZONE_DMA32))
> > > > >             return PHYS_ADDR_MAX + 1;
> > > > >
> > > > >         return max_zone_phys(32);
> > > > > }
> > > >
> > > > I like the second variant better.
> > >
> > > Sure, will change to use the 2nd one . Thanks.
> > >
> > 
> > While I appreciate the effort that has gone into solving this problem,
> > I don't think there is any consensus that an elaborate fix is required
> > to ensure that the crash kernel can be unmapped from the linear map at
> > all cost. In fact, I personally think we shouldn't bother, and IIRC,
> > Will made a remark along the same lines back when the Huawei engineers
> > were still driving this effort.
> >
> > So perhaps we could align on that before doing yet another version of this?
> 
> Yes, certainly. That can save everybody's effort if there's different
> opinion. Thanks for looking into this and the suggestion. 
> 
> About Will's remark, I checked those discussing threads, guess you are
> mentioning the words in link [1]. I copy them at bottom for better
> reference. Pleasae correct me if I am wrong.
> 
> With my understanding, Will said so because the patch is too complex,
> and there's risk that page table kernel data itself is using could share
> the same block/section mapping as crashkernel region. With these
> two cons, I agree with Will that we would rather take off the protection
> on crashkernel region which is done by mapping or unmapping the region,
> even though the protection enhances kdump's ronusness.
> 
> Crashkernel reservation needs to know the low meory end so that DMA
> buffer can be addressed by the dumping target, e.g storage disk. On the
> current arm64, we have facts:
> 1)Currently, except of Raspberry Pi 4, all arm64 systems can support
>   32bit DMA addressing. So, except of RPi4, the low memory end can be
>   decided after memblock init is done, namely at the end of
>   arm64_memblock_init(). We don't need to defer the crashkernel
>   reservation until zone_sizes_init() is done. Those cases can be checked
>   in patch code.
> 2)For RPi4, if its storage disk is 30bit DMA addressing, then we can
>   use crashkernel=xM@yM to specify reservation location under 1G to
>   work around this.
> 
> ***
> Based on above facts, with my patch applied:
> pros:
> 1) Performance issue is resolved;
> 2) As you can see, the code with this patch applied will much 
>   simpler, more straightforward and clearer;
> 3) The protection can be kept;
> 4) Crashkernel reservation can be easier to succeed on small memory
>    system, e.g virt guest system. The earlier the reservation is done,
>    it's more likely to get the whole chunk of meomry.
> cons:
> 1) Only RPi4 is put in inconvenience for crashkernel reservation. It
>    needs to use crashkernel=xM@yM to work around.
> 
> ***
> Take off the protection which is done by mapping or unmapping
> crashkernel region as you and Will suggested:
> pros:
> 1) Performance issue is resolved;
> 2) RPi4 will have the same convenience to set crashkernel;
> 
> cons:
> 1) No protection is taken on crashkernel region;
> 2) Code logic is twisting. There are two places to separately reserve
>    crashkernel, one is at the end of arm64_memblock_init(), one is at
>    the end of bootmem_init(). 
> 3) Except of both CONFIG_ZONE_DMA|DMA32 disabled case, crashkernel
>    reservation is deferred. On small memory system, e.g virt guest system,
>    it increases risk that the resrevation could fail very possibly caused
>    by memory fragmentation.
> 
> Besides, comparing the above two solutions, I also want to say kdump
> is developed for enterprise level of system. We need combine with
> reality when considering reasonable solution. E.g on x86_64, it has DMA
> zone of 16M and DMA32 zone from 16M to 4G always in normal kernel. For
> kdump, we ignore DMA zone directly because it's for ISA style devices. 
> Kdump doesn't support ISA style device with only 24bit DMA addressing
> capability at the beginning, because it doesn't make sense, we never
> hear that an enterprise level of x86_64 system needs to arm with kdump.

Sorry, here I mean we never hear that an enterprise level of x86_64
system owns ISA storage disk and needs to arm with kdump.

> 
> Hi Ard, Will, Catalin and other reviewers,
> 
> Above is my understaning and thinking about the encountered issue,
> plesae help check and point out what's missing or incorrect.
> 
> Hi Nicolas,
> 
> If it's convenient to you, please help make clear if the storage disk or
> network card can only address 32bit DMA buffer on RPi4. Really
                                ~~30bit, typo                              
> appreciate that.
> 
> ***
> [1]Will's remark on Huawei's patch
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/20220718131005.GA12406@willie-the-truck/T/#u
> 
> ====quote Will's remark here
> I do not think that this complexity is justified. As I have stated on
> numerous occasions already, I would prefer that we leave the crashkernel
> mapped when rodata is not "full". That fixes your performance issue and
> matches what we do for module code, so I do not see a security argument
> against it.
> 
> I do not plan to merge this patch as-is.
> ===
>