Re: [PATCH] KVM: x86: Use fast path for Xen timer delivery

[Paul Durrant]

On 22/09/2023 10:20, David Woodhouse wrote:
> From: David Woodhouse <dwmw@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Most of the time there's no need to kick the vCPU and deliver the timer
> event through kvm_xen_inject_timer_irqs(). Use kvm_xen_set_evtchn_fast()
> directly from the timer callback, and only fall back to the slow path
> when it's necessary to do so.
>
> This gives a significant improvement in timer latency testing (using
> nanosleep() for various periods and then measuring the actual time
> elapsed).
>
> Signed-off-by: David Woodhouse <dwmw@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>   arch/x86/kvm/xen.c | 17 ++++++++++++++---
>   1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/xen.c b/arch/x86/kvm/xen.c
> index 40edf4d1974c..66c4cf93a55c 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/xen.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/xen.c
> @@ -134,12 +134,23 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart xen_timer_callback(struct hrtimer *timer)
>   {
>   	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu = container_of(timer, struct kvm_vcpu,
>   					     arch.xen.timer);
> +	struct kvm_xen_evtchn e;
> +	int rc;
> +
>   	if (atomic_read(&vcpu->arch.xen.timer_pending))
>   		return HRTIMER_NORESTART;
>   
> -	atomic_inc(&vcpu->arch.xen.timer_pending);
> -	kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_UNBLOCK, vcpu);
> -	kvm_vcpu_kick(vcpu);
> +	e.vcpu_id = vcpu->vcpu_id;
> +	e.vcpu_idx = vcpu->vcpu_idx;
> +	e.port = vcpu->arch.xen.timer_virq;

Don't you need to check the port for validity? The VMM may not have set 
it (and hence be delivering timer VIRQ events itself).

  Paul

> +	e.priority = KVM_IRQ_ROUTING_XEN_EVTCHN_PRIO_2LEVEL;
> +
> +	rc = kvm_xen_set_evtchn_fast(&e, vcpu->kvm);
> +	if (rc == -EWOULDBLOCK) {
> +		atomic_inc(&vcpu->arch.xen.timer_pending);
> +		kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_UNBLOCK, vcpu);
> +		kvm_vcpu_kick(vcpu);
> +	}
>   
>   	return HRTIMER_NORESTART;
>   }