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authorDaniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000
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+=============================
+The Linux Watchdog driver API
+=============================
+
+Last reviewed: 10/05/2007
+
+
+
+Copyright 2002 Christer Weingel <wingel@nano-system.com>
+
+Some parts of this document are copied verbatim from the sbc60xxwdt
+driver which is (c) Copyright 2000 Jakob Oestergaard <jakob@ostenfeld.dk>
+
+This document describes the state of the Linux 2.4.18 kernel.
+
+Introduction
+============
+
+A Watchdog Timer (WDT) is a hardware circuit that can reset the
+computer system in case of a software fault. You probably knew that
+already.
+
+Usually a userspace daemon will notify the kernel watchdog driver via the
+/dev/watchdog special device file that userspace is still alive, at
+regular intervals. When such a notification occurs, the driver will
+usually tell the hardware watchdog that everything is in order, and
+that the watchdog should wait for yet another little while to reset
+the system. If userspace fails (RAM error, kernel bug, whatever), the
+notifications cease to occur, and the hardware watchdog will reset the
+system (causing a reboot) after the timeout occurs.
+
+The Linux watchdog API is a rather ad-hoc construction and different
+drivers implement different, and sometimes incompatible, parts of it.
+This file is an attempt to document the existing usage and allow
+future driver writers to use it as a reference.
+
+The simplest API
+================
+
+All drivers support the basic mode of operation, where the watchdog
+activates as soon as /dev/watchdog is opened and will reboot unless
+the watchdog is pinged within a certain time, this time is called the
+timeout or margin. The simplest way to ping the watchdog is to write
+some data to the device. So a very simple watchdog daemon would look
+like this source file: see samples/watchdog/watchdog-simple.c
+
+A more advanced driver could for example check that a HTTP server is
+still responding before doing the write call to ping the watchdog.
+
+When the device is closed, the watchdog is disabled, unless the "Magic
+Close" feature is supported (see below). This is not always such a
+good idea, since if there is a bug in the watchdog daemon and it
+crashes the system will not reboot. Because of this, some of the
+drivers support the configuration option "Disable watchdog shutdown on
+close", CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT. If it is set to Y when compiling
+the kernel, there is no way of disabling the watchdog once it has been
+started. So, if the watchdog daemon crashes, the system will reboot
+after the timeout has passed. Watchdog devices also usually support
+the nowayout module parameter so that this option can be controlled at
+runtime.
+
+Magic Close feature
+===================
+
+If a driver supports "Magic Close", the driver will not disable the
+watchdog unless a specific magic character 'V' has been sent to
+/dev/watchdog just before closing the file. If the userspace daemon
+closes the file without sending this special character, the driver
+will assume that the daemon (and userspace in general) died, and will
+stop pinging the watchdog without disabling it first. This will then
+cause a reboot if the watchdog is not re-opened in sufficient time.
+
+The ioctl API
+=============
+
+All conforming drivers also support an ioctl API.
+
+Pinging the watchdog using an ioctl:
+
+All drivers that have an ioctl interface support at least one ioctl,
+KEEPALIVE. This ioctl does exactly the same thing as a write to the
+watchdog device, so the main loop in the above program could be
+replaced with::
+
+ while (1) {
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_KEEPALIVE, 0);
+ sleep(10);
+ }
+
+the argument to the ioctl is ignored.
+
+Setting and getting the timeout
+===============================
+
+For some drivers it is possible to modify the watchdog timeout on the
+fly with the SETTIMEOUT ioctl, those drivers have the WDIOF_SETTIMEOUT
+flag set in their option field. The argument is an integer
+representing the timeout in seconds. The driver returns the real
+timeout used in the same variable, and this timeout might differ from
+the requested one due to limitation of the hardware::
+
+ int timeout = 45;
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT, &timeout);
+ printf("The timeout was set to %d seconds\n", timeout);
+
+This example might actually print "The timeout was set to 60 seconds"
+if the device has a granularity of minutes for its timeout.
+
+Starting with the Linux 2.4.18 kernel, it is possible to query the
+current timeout using the GETTIMEOUT ioctl::
+
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETTIMEOUT, &timeout);
+ printf("The timeout was is %d seconds\n", timeout);
+
+Pretimeouts
+===========
+
+Some watchdog timers can be set to have a trigger go off before the
+actual time they will reset the system. This can be done with an NMI,
+interrupt, or other mechanism. This allows Linux to record useful
+information (like panic information and kernel coredumps) before it
+resets::
+
+ pretimeout = 10;
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETPRETIMEOUT, &pretimeout);
+
+Note that the pretimeout is the number of seconds before the time
+when the timeout will go off. It is not the number of seconds until
+the pretimeout. So, for instance, if you set the timeout to 60 seconds
+and the pretimeout to 10 seconds, the pretimeout will go off in 50
+seconds. Setting a pretimeout to zero disables it.
+
+There is also a get function for getting the pretimeout::
+
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETPRETIMEOUT, &timeout);
+ printf("The pretimeout was is %d seconds\n", timeout);
+
+Not all watchdog drivers will support a pretimeout.
+
+Get the number of seconds before reboot
+=======================================
+
+Some watchdog drivers have the ability to report the remaining time
+before the system will reboot. The WDIOC_GETTIMELEFT is the ioctl
+that returns the number of seconds before reboot::
+
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETTIMELEFT, &timeleft);
+ printf("The timeout was is %d seconds\n", timeleft);
+
+Environmental monitoring
+========================
+
+All watchdog drivers are required return more information about the system,
+some do temperature, fan and power level monitoring, some can tell you
+the reason for the last reboot of the system. The GETSUPPORT ioctl is
+available to ask what the device can do::
+
+ struct watchdog_info ident;
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETSUPPORT, &ident);
+
+the fields returned in the ident struct are:
+
+ ================ =============================================
+ identity a string identifying the watchdog driver
+ firmware_version the firmware version of the card if available
+ options a flags describing what the device supports
+ ================ =============================================
+
+the options field can have the following bits set, and describes what
+kind of information that the GET_STATUS and GET_BOOT_STATUS ioctls can
+return.
+
+ ================ =========================
+ WDIOF_OVERHEAT Reset due to CPU overheat
+ ================ =========================
+
+The machine was last rebooted by the watchdog because the thermal limit was
+exceeded:
+
+ ============== ==========
+ WDIOF_FANFAULT Fan failed
+ ============== ==========
+
+A system fan monitored by the watchdog card has failed
+
+ ============= ================
+ WDIOF_EXTERN1 External relay 1
+ ============= ================
+
+External monitoring relay/source 1 was triggered. Controllers intended for
+real world applications include external monitoring pins that will trigger
+a reset.
+
+ ============= ================
+ WDIOF_EXTERN2 External relay 2
+ ============= ================
+
+External monitoring relay/source 2 was triggered
+
+ ================ =====================
+ WDIOF_POWERUNDER Power bad/power fault
+ ================ =====================
+
+The machine is showing an undervoltage status
+
+ =============== =============================
+ WDIOF_CARDRESET Card previously reset the CPU
+ =============== =============================
+
+The last reboot was caused by the watchdog card
+
+ ================ =====================
+ WDIOF_POWEROVER Power over voltage
+ ================ =====================
+
+The machine is showing an overvoltage status. Note that if one level is
+under and one over both bits will be set - this may seem odd but makes
+sense.
+
+ =================== =====================
+ WDIOF_KEEPALIVEPING Keep alive ping reply
+ =================== =====================
+
+The watchdog saw a keepalive ping since it was last queried.
+
+ ================ =======================
+ WDIOF_SETTIMEOUT Can set/get the timeout
+ ================ =======================
+
+The watchdog can do pretimeouts.
+
+ ================ ================================
+ WDIOF_PRETIMEOUT Pretimeout (in seconds), get/set
+ ================ ================================
+
+
+For those drivers that return any bits set in the option field, the
+GETSTATUS and GETBOOTSTATUS ioctls can be used to ask for the current
+status, and the status at the last reboot, respectively::
+
+ int flags;
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETSTATUS, &flags);
+
+ or
+
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETBOOTSTATUS, &flags);
+
+Note that not all devices support these two calls, and some only
+support the GETBOOTSTATUS call.
+
+Some drivers can measure the temperature using the GETTEMP ioctl. The
+returned value is the temperature in degrees fahrenheit::
+
+ int temperature;
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETTEMP, &temperature);
+
+Finally the SETOPTIONS ioctl can be used to control some aspects of
+the cards operation::
+
+ int options = 0;
+ ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETOPTIONS, &options);
+
+The following options are available:
+
+ ================= ================================
+ WDIOS_DISABLECARD Turn off the watchdog timer
+ WDIOS_ENABLECARD Turn on the watchdog timer
+ WDIOS_TEMPPANIC Kernel panic on temperature trip
+ ================= ================================
+
+[FIXME -- better explanations]