KVM: race-free exit from KVM_RUN without POSIX signals
The purpose of the KVM_SET_SIGNAL_MASK API is to let userspace "kick"
a VCPU out of KVM_RUN through a POSIX signal. A signal is attached
to a dummy signal handler; by blocking the signal outside KVM_RUN and
unblocking it inside, this possible race is closed:
VCPU thread service thread
--------------------------------------------------------------
check flag
set flag
raise signal
(signal handler does nothing)
KVM_RUN
However, one issue with KVM_SET_SIGNAL_MASK is that it has to take
tsk->sighand->siglock on every KVM_RUN. This lock is often on a
remote NUMA node, because it is on the node of a thread's creator.
Taking this lock can be very expensive if there are many userspace
exits (as is the case for SMP Windows VMs without Hyper-V reference
time counter).
As an alternative, we can put the flag directly in kvm_run so that
KVM can see it:
VCPU thread service thread
--------------------------------------------------------------
raise signal
signal handler
set run->immediate_exit
KVM_RUN
check run->immediate_exit
Reviewed-by: Radim Krčmář <rkrcmar@redhat.com>
Reviewed-by: David Hildenbrand <david@redhat.com>
Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/kvm.h b/include/uapi/linux/kvm.h
index 7964b97..f51d508 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/kvm.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/kvm.h
@@ -218,7 +218,8 @@ struct kvm_hyperv_exit {
struct kvm_run {
/* in */
__u8 request_interrupt_window;
- __u8 padding1[7];
+ __u8 immediate_exit;
+ __u8 padding1[6];
/* out */
__u32 exit_reason;
@@ -881,6 +882,7 @@ struct kvm_ppc_resize_hpt {
#define KVM_CAP_SPAPR_RESIZE_HPT 133
#define KVM_CAP_PPC_MMU_RADIX 134
#define KVM_CAP_PPC_MMU_HASH_V3 135
+#define KVM_CAP_IMMEDIATE_EXIT 136
#ifdef KVM_CAP_IRQ_ROUTING