summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/Documentation/arch/x86/pat.rst
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/arch/x86/pat.rst')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/arch/x86/pat.rst240
1 files changed, 240 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/arch/x86/pat.rst b/Documentation/arch/x86/pat.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5d90177101
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/arch/x86/pat.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+==========================
+PAT (Page Attribute Table)
+==========================
+
+x86 Page Attribute Table (PAT) allows for setting the memory attribute at the
+page level granularity. PAT is complementary to the MTRR settings which allows
+for setting of memory types over physical address ranges. However, PAT is
+more flexible than MTRR due to its capability to set attributes at page level
+and also due to the fact that there are no hardware limitations on number of
+such attribute settings allowed. Added flexibility comes with guidelines for
+not having memory type aliasing for the same physical memory with multiple
+virtual addresses.
+
+PAT allows for different types of memory attributes. The most commonly used
+ones that will be supported at this time are:
+
+=== ==============
+WB Write-back
+UC Uncached
+WC Write-combined
+WT Write-through
+UC- Uncached Minus
+=== ==============
+
+
+PAT APIs
+========
+
+There are many different APIs in the kernel that allows setting of memory
+attributes at the page level. In order to avoid aliasing, these interfaces
+should be used thoughtfully. Below is a table of interfaces available,
+their intended usage and their memory attribute relationships. Internally,
+these APIs use a reserve_memtype()/free_memtype() interface on the physical
+address range to avoid any aliasing.
+
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| API | RAM | ACPI,... | Reserved/Holes |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| ioremap | -- | UC- | UC- |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| ioremap_cache | -- | WB | WB |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| ioremap_uc | -- | UC | UC |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| ioremap_wc | -- | -- | WC |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| ioremap_wt | -- | -- | WT |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| set_memory_uc, | UC- | -- | -- |
+| set_memory_wb | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| set_memory_wc, | WC | -- | -- |
+| set_memory_wb | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| set_memory_wt, | WT | -- | -- |
+| set_memory_wb | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| pci sysfs resource | -- | -- | UC- |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| pci sysfs resource_wc | -- | -- | WC |
+| is IORESOURCE_PREFETCH | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| pci proc | -- | -- | UC- |
+| !PCIIOC_WRITE_COMBINE | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| pci proc | -- | -- | WC |
+| PCIIOC_WRITE_COMBINE | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| /dev/mem | -- | WB/WC/UC- | WB/WC/UC- |
+| read-write | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| /dev/mem | -- | UC- | UC- |
+| mmap SYNC flag | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| /dev/mem | -- | WB/WC/UC- | WB/WC/UC- |
+| mmap !SYNC flag | | | |
+| and | |(from existing| (from existing |
+| any alias to this area | |alias) | alias) |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| /dev/mem | -- | WB | WB |
+| mmap !SYNC flag | | | |
+| no alias to this area | | | |
+| and | | | |
+| MTRR says WB | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+| /dev/mem | -- | -- | UC- |
+| mmap !SYNC flag | | | |
+| no alias to this area | | | |
+| and | | | |
+| MTRR says !WB | | | |
++------------------------+----------+--------------+------------------+
+
+
+Advanced APIs for drivers
+=========================
+
+A. Exporting pages to users with remap_pfn_range, io_remap_pfn_range,
+vmf_insert_pfn.
+
+Drivers wanting to export some pages to userspace do it by using mmap
+interface and a combination of:
+
+ 1) pgprot_noncached()
+ 2) io_remap_pfn_range() or remap_pfn_range() or vmf_insert_pfn()
+
+With PAT support, a new API pgprot_writecombine is being added. So, drivers can
+continue to use the above sequence, with either pgprot_noncached() or
+pgprot_writecombine() in step 1, followed by step 2.
+
+In addition, step 2 internally tracks the region as UC or WC in memtype
+list in order to ensure no conflicting mapping.
+
+Note that this set of APIs only works with IO (non RAM) regions. If driver
+wants to export a RAM region, it has to do set_memory_uc() or set_memory_wc()
+as step 0 above and also track the usage of those pages and use set_memory_wb()
+before the page is freed to free pool.
+
+MTRR effects on PAT / non-PAT systems
+=====================================
+
+The following table provides the effects of using write-combining MTRRs when
+using ioremap*() calls on x86 for both non-PAT and PAT systems. Ideally
+mtrr_add() usage will be phased out in favor of arch_phys_wc_add() which will
+be a no-op on PAT enabled systems. The region over which a arch_phys_wc_add()
+is made, should already have been ioremapped with WC attributes or PAT entries,
+this can be done by using ioremap_wc() / set_memory_wc(). Devices which
+combine areas of IO memory desired to remain uncacheable with areas where
+write-combining is desirable should consider use of ioremap_uc() followed by
+set_memory_wc() to white-list effective write-combined areas. Such use is
+nevertheless discouraged as the effective memory type is considered
+implementation defined, yet this strategy can be used as last resort on devices
+with size-constrained regions where otherwise MTRR write-combining would
+otherwise not be effective.
+::
+
+ ==== ======= === ========================= =====================
+ MTRR Non-PAT PAT Linux ioremap value Effective memory type
+ ==== ======= === ========================= =====================
+ PAT Non-PAT | PAT
+ |PCD |
+ ||PWT |
+ ||| |
+ WC 000 WB _PAGE_CACHE_MODE_WB WC | WC
+ WC 001 WC _PAGE_CACHE_MODE_WC WC* | WC
+ WC 010 UC- _PAGE_CACHE_MODE_UC_MINUS WC* | UC
+ WC 011 UC _PAGE_CACHE_MODE_UC UC | UC
+ ==== ======= === ========================= =====================
+
+ (*) denotes implementation defined and is discouraged
+
+.. note:: -- in the above table mean "Not suggested usage for the API". Some
+ of the --'s are strictly enforced by the kernel. Some others are not really
+ enforced today, but may be enforced in future.
+
+For ioremap and pci access through /sys or /proc - The actual type returned
+can be more restrictive, in case of any existing aliasing for that address.
+For example: If there is an existing uncached mapping, a new ioremap_wc can
+return uncached mapping in place of write-combine requested.
+
+set_memory_[uc|wc|wt] and set_memory_wb should be used in pairs, where driver
+will first make a region uc, wc or wt and switch it back to wb after use.
+
+Over time writes to /proc/mtrr will be deprecated in favor of using PAT based
+interfaces. Users writing to /proc/mtrr are suggested to use above interfaces.
+
+Drivers should use ioremap_[uc|wc] to access PCI BARs with [uc|wc] access
+types.
+
+Drivers should use set_memory_[uc|wc|wt] to set access type for RAM ranges.
+
+
+PAT debugging
+=============
+
+With CONFIG_DEBUG_FS enabled, PAT memtype list can be examined by::
+
+ # mount -t debugfs debugfs /sys/kernel/debug
+ # cat /sys/kernel/debug/x86/pat_memtype_list
+ PAT memtype list:
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fadf000-0x7fae0000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb19000-0x7fb1a000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb1a000-0x7fb1b000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb1b000-0x7fb1c000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb1c000-0x7fb1d000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb1d000-0x7fb1e000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb1e000-0x7fb25000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb25000-0x7fb26000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb26000-0x7fb27000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb27000-0x7fb28000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb28000-0x7fb2e000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb2e000-0x7fb2f000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb2f000-0x7fb30000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x7fb31000-0x7fb32000
+ uncached-minus @ 0x80000000-0x90000000
+
+This list shows physical address ranges and various PAT settings used to
+access those physical address ranges.
+
+Another, more verbose way of getting PAT related debug messages is with
+"debugpat" boot parameter. With this parameter, various debug messages are
+printed to dmesg log.
+
+PAT Initialization
+==================
+
+The following table describes how PAT is initialized under various
+configurations. The PAT MSR must be updated by Linux in order to support WC
+and WT attributes. Otherwise, the PAT MSR has the value programmed in it
+by the firmware. Note, Xen enables WC attribute in the PAT MSR for guests.
+
+ ==== ===== ========================== ========= =======
+ MTRR PAT Call Sequence PAT State PAT MSR
+ ==== ===== ========================== ========= =======
+ E E MTRR -> PAT init Enabled OS
+ E D MTRR -> PAT init Disabled -
+ D E MTRR -> PAT disable Disabled BIOS
+ D D MTRR -> PAT disable Disabled -
+ - np/E PAT -> PAT disable Disabled BIOS
+ - np/D PAT -> PAT disable Disabled -
+ E !P/E MTRR -> PAT init Disabled BIOS
+ D !P/E MTRR -> PAT disable Disabled BIOS
+ !M !P/E MTRR stub -> PAT disable Disabled BIOS
+ ==== ===== ========================== ========= =======
+
+ Legend
+
+ ========= =======================================
+ E Feature enabled in CPU
+ D Feature disabled/unsupported in CPU
+ np "nopat" boot option specified
+ !P CONFIG_X86_PAT option unset
+ !M CONFIG_MTRR option unset
+ Enabled PAT state set to enabled
+ Disabled PAT state set to disabled
+ OS PAT initializes PAT MSR with OS setting
+ BIOS PAT keeps PAT MSR with BIOS setting
+ ========= =======================================
+