[PATCH v4 00/21] KVM: x86/pmu: Add mediated vPMU PerfMon v5 support
From: Zide Chen
Date: Thu Nov 12 2026 - 20:08:13 EST
KVM currently caps the guest Intel architectural PMU version at 2 and
relies on counter-count fields that cannot describe sparse or
non-contiguous fixed counters.
Rework KVM's vPMU to track counters with bitmasks instead of counts, so
mediated-PMU guests can use Intel PerfMon v5 and non-contiguous fixed
counters, and lay the groundwork for non-contiguous GP counters (CPUID
leaf 0x23). This series also adds support for new features
introduced in PerfMon v3-v5.
- CPUID.0AH:ECX fixed-counter bitmap (v5): supersedes EDX[4:0] and
lets KVM/guests represent non-contiguous fixed counters (e.g. some
E-core server parts skip fixed counter 3).
- Support IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET (v4): inherits MSR 0x390 and its
emulation from IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_OVF_CTRL; mark CondChgd (bit 63)
reserved in IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS while allowing it to be cleared
on STATUS_RESET, and document its mediated-PMU passthrough erratum in
errata.rst.
- Add support for IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_SET (v4): lets software set
individual bits in the global status MSR.
- Add support for IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_INUSE (v4): reports which counters
and PMI are currently claimed.
- Implement ANYTHREAD_DEPRECATION capability (v5).
- Clamp guest PMU version to KVM's host capabilities (pmu->version):
ensures KVM's internal state tracks the effective PMU version that
KVM can actually emulate, matching how bit_width, mask_length, and
nr_{gp,fixed}_counters are clamped.
Intel PerfMon v5 doesn't support non-contiguous GP counters; however,
this series lays the groundwork for GP counter bitmap support anyway,
for consistency with the host perf API interface, and prepares for
PerfMon Masking support.
Freeze_PerfMon_On_PMI virtualization is not implemented because, as
commit 3daa96d67274 ("perf/intel: Remove Perfmon-v4 counter_freezing
support") states, the Freeze-on-PMI mechanism violates the perf counter
independence.
Streamlined Freeze_LBRs_On_PMI is not implemented because LBR is not
yet supported on mediated vPMU.
Mutual exclusion between Intel PT and mediated vPMU, to prevent host PT
PMIs from asserting IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS.Trace_ToPA_PMI (bit 55)
while guest PMU context is loaded, as analyzed by Yosry Ahmed, is left
out of this series and will be addressed in a separate follow-up patch.
Tests are described in v2 cover letter.
Patch series summary:
patch 1-4: Code cleanups and bug fixes.
patch 5-10: Implement PMC bitmap support across perf and KVM.
patch 11-19: Implement PerfMon v4-v5 new features, including PMU
version clamping.
patch 20: Advertise PerfMon version up to v5 on Intel hosts.
patch 21: Support fixed counters bitmap in pmu_counters_test selftest.
Rebased on kvm-x86/next: commit cbe54fc3462b("Merge branch 'vmx'")
v4:
- New patches:
- Patch 1: Drop redundant counter MSR checks in amd_is_valid_msr().
(Jim)
- Patch 12: Handle CondChgd (bit 63) asymmetry: mark bit 63 reserved
in global_status_rsvd to reject writes to GLOBAL_STATUS{,_SET},
while allowing writes to STATUS_RESET. (Jim, Yosry)
- Patch 15: Clamp pmu->version to kvm_pmu_cap.version. (Sean, Yosry)
- Collected Reviewed-by tags, but did not carry Reviewed-by on patches
5, 9, and 13 due to code changes.
- All other changes are non-functional, including code improvements,
coding style cleanups, and patch rearrangements.
v3:
- https://lore.kernel.org/kvm/20261106013927.166209-1-zide.chen@xxxxxxxxx/
- Dropped v2 patch 4 ("Gate BUFFER_OVF reserved bit on guest DS").
(Jim)
- New patch 10 to document the IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET
passthrough erratum in errata.rst.
- New patch 15 to mask only OS/USR bits when filtering fixed counters,
preventing AnyThread leakage into hardware and preserving
METRICS_CLEAR_EN.
- Split MSR 0x391 and MSR 0x392 emulation into separate patches.
- Always intercept IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_SET and GLOBAL_INUSE to
prevent hardware state divergence. (Jim)
- Reject bit 63 (CondChgd) writes to GLOBAL_STATUS_SET. (Jim)
- Keep the AnyThread bit guest-visible while removing it from the
hardware-visible states. (Jim)
- Address other minor review comments from LKML, also some fixes
suggested by AI tools.
- Collected Reviewed-by and Acked-by tags.
v2:
- https://lore.kernel.org/kvm/20260827223755.143247-1-zide.chen@xxxxxxxxx/
- Dropped v1 11/15: KVM: x86/pmu: Emulate streamlined
Freeze-LBR-on-PMI.
- New patch 4/15 to gate BUFFER_OVF reserved bit on guest DS feature.
- Some renames:
- all_valid_pmc_mask to pmc_exists;
- add _is to kvm_{gp,fixed}_pmc_supported();
- split kvm_for_each_set_pmc_idx() to
kvm_for_each_{gp,fixed}_counter().
- Add missing AnyThr handling in IA32_FIXED_CTR_CTRL and advertise
anythread_deprecated only if kvm_pmu_cap.version >= 5.
- Cap vPMU v3/v4 to v2, as AnyThread cannot be safely virtualized.
- Miscellaneous updates to changelogs and some minor fixes.
v1: https://lore.kernel.org/kvm/amj-5YH-LSwZOLow@xxxxxxxxxx/T/#u
Dapeng Mi (6):
KVM: x86/pmu: Drop nr_arch_{gp,fixed}_counters from kvm_pmu
perf/x86: Plumb counter bitmap from x86_pmu to x86_pmu_cap
KVM: x86/pmu: Switch to bitmask-based KVM PMU capabilities
perf/x86: Remove num_counters_{gp,fixed} from x86_pmu_capability
KVM: x86/pmu: Advertise PerfMon version 5 on Intel hosts
KVM: selftests: Support fixed counters bitmap in pmu_counters_test
Zide Chen (15):
KVM: SVM: Drop counter MSR checks in amd_is_valid_msr()
KVM: x86/pmu: Remove redundant Perf Global Status MSR bit definitions
KVM: x86/pmu: Rename all_valid_pmc_idx to pmc_exists
KVM: x86/pmu: Rename reserved_bits to eventsel_rsvd in kvm_pmu
KVM: x86/pmu: Use pmc_exists in PMC lookup helpers
KVM: x86/pmu: Expose kvm_host_pmu to vendor modules
KVM: x86/pmu: Document GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET passthrough erratum
KVM: x86/pmu: Mark CondChgd reserved in global_status_rsvd
KVM: x86/pmu: Emulate IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_SET MSR
KVM: x86/pmu: Emulate IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_INUSE MSR
KVM: x86/pmu: Clamp pmu->version to kvm_pmu_cap.version
KVM: x86/pmu: Populate CPUID.0AH:ECX fixed-counter bitmap
KVM: x86/pmu: Factor out fixed counter control bit calculation
KVM: x86/pmu: Mask only OS/USR bits when filtering fixed counters
KVM: x86/pmu: Ignore AnyThread bit if CPUID.0AH:EDX[15] is set
Documentation/virt/kvm/x86/errata.rst | 10 +-
arch/x86/events/core.c | 8 +-
arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h | 9 +-
arch/x86/include/asm/msr-index.h | 9 +-
arch/x86/include/asm/perf_event.h | 13 +-
arch/x86/kvm/cpuid.c | 24 ++-
arch/x86/kvm/msrs.c | 12 +-
arch/x86/kvm/pmu.c | 85 +++++---
arch/x86/kvm/pmu.h | 54 ++++-
arch/x86/kvm/svm/pmu.c | 43 ++--
arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c | 19 +-
arch/x86/kvm/vmx/nested.c | 4 +-
arch/x86/kvm/vmx/pmu_intel.c | 192 +++++++++++++-----
arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c | 28 ++-
.../selftests/kvm/include/x86/processor.h | 6 +-
.../selftests/kvm/x86/pmu_counters_test.c | 29 ++-
16 files changed, 366 insertions(+), 179 deletions(-)
--
2.56.1