[Xen-devel] [PATCH v14 15/17] pvh: Documentation

[George Dunlap <george.dunlap@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

---
v14
 - Update interface description
 - Update list of outstanding fixmes

Signed-off-by: George Dunlap <george.dunlap@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Mukesh Rathor <mukesh.rathor@xxxxxxxxxx>
CC: Jan Beulich <jan.beulich@xxxxxxxx>
CC: Tim Deegan <tim@xxxxxxx>
CC: Keir Fraser <keir@xxxxxxx>
---
 docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt |   60 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 60 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt

diff --git a/docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt b/docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8913d1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+
+PVH : an x86 PV guest running in an HVM container.
+
+See: 
http://blog.xen.org/index.php/2012/10/23/the-paravirtualization-spectrum-part-1-the-ends-of-the-spectrum/
+
+At the moment HAP is required for PVH.
+
+At present the only PVH guest is an x86 64bit PV linux. Patches are at:
+   git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/konrad/xen.git
+
+A PVH guest kernel must support following features, as defined for linux
+in arch/x86/xen/xen-head.S:
+
+   #define FEATURES_PVH "|writable_descriptor_tables" \
+                        "|auto_translated_physmap"    \
+                        "|supervisor_mode_kernel"     \
+                        "|hvm_callback_vector"
+
+In a nutshell:
+* the guest uses auto translate:
+ - p2m is managed by xen
+ - pagetables are owned by the guest
+ - mmu_update hypercall not available
+* it uses event callback and not vlapic emulation, 
+* IDT is native, so set_trap_table hcall is also N/A for a PVH guest. 
+
+For a full list of hcalls supported for PVH, see pvh_hypercall64_table
+in arch/x86/hvm/hvm.c in xen.  From the ABI prespective, it's mostly a
+PV guest with auto translate, although it does use hvm_op for setting
+callback vector, and has a special version of arch_set_guest_info for bringing
+up secondary cpus.
+
+The initial phase targets the booting of a 64bit UP/SMP linux guest in PVH
+mode. This is done by adding: pvh=1 in the config file. xl, and not xm, is
+supported. Phase I patches are broken into three parts:
+   - xen changes for booting of 64bit PVH guest
+   - tools changes for creating a PVH guest
+   - boot of 64bit dom0 in PVH mode.
+
+Following fixme's exist in the code:
+  - arch/x86/time.c: support more tsc modes.
+  - implement arch_get_info_guest() for pvh.
+
+Following remain to be done for PVH:
+   - Investigate what else needs to be done for VMI support.
+   - AMD port.
+   - 32bit PVH guest support in both linux and xen. Xen changes are tagged
+     "32bitfixme".
+   - Add support for monitoring guest behavior. See hvm_memory_event* functions
+     in hvm.c
+   - vcpu hotplug support
+   - Live migration of PVH guests.
+   - Avail PVH dom0 of posted interrupts. (This will be a big win).
+
+
+Note, any emails to me must be cc'd to xen devel mailing list. OTOH, please
+cc me on PVH emails to the xen devel mailing list.
+
+Mukesh Rathor
+mukesh.rathor [at] oracle [dot] com
-- 
1.7.9.5


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