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From: David Woodhouse <dwmw2@infradead.org>
To: kvm@vger.kernel.org
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-kselftest@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-doc@vger.kernel.org, xen-devel@lists.xenproject.org,
	x86@kernel.org, Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>,
	Sean Christopherson <seanjc@google.com>,
	Paul Durrant <paul@xen.org>,
	Vitaly Kuznetsov <vkuznets@redhat.com>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@kernel.org>, Ingo Molnar <mingo@redhat.com>,
	Borislav Petkov <bp@alien8.de>,
	Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>,
	"H . Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>,
	Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>,
	Shuah Khan <skhan@linuxfoundation.org>,
	Juergen Gross <jgross@suse.com>,
	Boris Ostrovsky <boris.ostrovsky@oracle.com>,
	Jonathan Cameron <jic23@kernel.org>,
	Sascha Bischoff <Sascha.Bischoff@arm.com>,
	Marc Zyngier <maz@kernel.org>, Joey Gouly <joey.gouly@arm.com>,
	Jack Allister <jalliste@amazon.com>,
	Dongli Zhang <dongli.zhang@oracle.com>,
	joe.jin@oracle.com, David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>
Subject: [PATCH v11 21/23] KVM: selftests: Test that the first user TSC write is honoured exactly
Date: Thu,  5 Nov 2026 07:49:52 -0800	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20261105154955.2525419-22-dwmw2@infradead.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20261105154955.2525419-1-dwmw2@infradead.org>

From: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>

The 1-second "slop" heuristic in kvm_synchronize_tsc() is only
supposed to apply between successive userspace TSC writes, i.e. once
kvm->arch.user_set_tsc has been set by a previous write. The kernel's
own internal TSC synchronization on vCPU creation (and frequency
changes) must not arm it, otherwise the first genuine userspace write
falling within 1 second of virtual cycle time of the kernel's default
generation is "corrected" back to that generation instead of being
honoured — breaking the restore of a guest with less than one second
of runtime.

Add a test which creates a vCPU and immediately performs a first
host-initiated write of a TSC value corresponding to ~500ms of guest
runtime, then verifies the value reads back exactly (modulo elapsed
time) rather than being snapped back to the kernel's default
generation near zero.

Signed-off-by: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>
---
 tools/testing/selftests/kvm/Makefile.kvm      |  1 +
 .../selftests/kvm/x86/tsc_user_set_test.c     | 86 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 87 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/tsc_user_set_test.c

diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/Makefile.kvm b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/Makefile.kvm
index 1edc78845fd3..fd063806a7fb 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/Makefile.kvm
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/Makefile.kvm
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/xcr0_cpuid_test
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/xss_msr_test
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/debug_regs
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/tsc_msrs_test
+TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/tsc_user_set_test
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/vmx_pmu_caps_test
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/xen_cpuid_timing_test
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_x86 += x86/xen_migration_test
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/tsc_user_set_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/tsc_user_set_test.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6ab76e817f9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/tsc_user_set_test.c
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+/*
+ * Test that the first userspace write to MSR_IA32_TSC takes effect
+ * precisely, and is not subjected to the 1-second "slop" heuristic
+ * which is only supposed to apply between successive *userspace*
+ * writes (kvm->arch.user_set_tsc).
+ *
+ * The kernel synchronizes the TSC internally when a vCPU is created
+ * (and when its frequency is set). If any of those kernel-internal
+ * paths incorrectly sets user_set_tsc, then the first genuine write
+ * from userspace which happens to fall within 1 second of virtual
+ * cycle time of the kernel's default generation is "corrected" to
+ * match that generation instead of being honoured exactly. That
+ * breaks the restore of a guest which has genuinely been running
+ * for less than one second.
+ *
+ * Simulate exactly that: create a vCPU (kernel establishes a default
+ * TSC generation starting near zero), then perform the first
+ * host-initiated write with a value corresponding to ~500ms of guest
+ * runtime. If the slop heuristic fires, the written value is snapped
+ * back to the kernel's generation (near zero) and the TSC reads back
+ * hundreds of milliseconds low.
+ */
+#include "kvm_util.h"
+#include "processor.h"
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu;
+	struct kvm_vm *vm;
+	u64 freq_khz, t_write, t_read, slack_cycles, mono_ns;
+	struct timespec ts;
+	int r;
+
+	/*
+	 * Start the measured window before vCPU creation: a snapped-back
+	 * value tracks time since the kernel's default generation (i.e.
+	 * since creation), so the window the slack is derived from must
+	 * include everything from creation onwards.
+	 */
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW, &ts);
+	mono_ns = ts.tv_sec * 1000000000ULL + ts.tv_nsec;
+
+	vm = vm_create_with_one_vcpu(&vcpu, NULL);
+
+	r = __vcpu_ioctl(vcpu, KVM_GET_TSC_KHZ, NULL);
+	TEST_ASSERT(r > 0, "KVM_GET_TSC_KHZ failed");
+	freq_khz = r;
+
+	/*
+	 * The first user write: a guest TSC corresponding to 500ms of
+	 * runtime. This is within 1s (of virtual cycle time) of the
+	 * kernel's default generation, so it is exactly the case that
+	 * the slop heuristic would destroy if it were (incorrectly)
+	 * armed by the kernel's own internal TSC synchronization.
+	 */
+	t_write = freq_khz * 500ULL;		/* khz * ms = cycles */
+
+	vcpu_set_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_TSC, t_write);
+
+	t_read = vcpu_get_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_TSC);
+
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW, &ts);
+	mono_ns = (ts.tv_sec * 1000000000ULL + ts.tv_nsec) - mono_ns;
+
+	/*
+	 * The TSC advances between the write and the read; bound the
+	 * difference by the measured elapsed time around the two ioctls
+	 * plus 10ms of slop, so a descheduled test cannot flake. If the
+	 * write was snapped to the kernel's default generation, the
+	 * value read back is ~500ms low (i.e. below t_write), which is
+	 * unambiguous.
+	 */
+	slack_cycles = freq_khz * (mono_ns / 1000000ULL + 10);
+
+	TEST_ASSERT(t_read >= t_write,
+		    "TSC went backwards from explicit write: wrote %lu, read %lu"
+		    " (first userspace write was subjected to 1-second slop?)",
+		    t_write, t_read);
+	TEST_ASSERT(t_read - t_write < slack_cycles,
+		    "TSC read back too far from written value: wrote %lu, read %lu",
+		    t_write, t_read);
+
+	kvm_vm_free(vm);
+	return 0;
+}
-- 
2.43.0


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-11-05 15:50 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 24+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-11-05 15:49 [PATCH v11 00/23] KVM: x86: Cleaning up the KVM clock mess, part 2 David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 01/23] KVM: x86: Improve synchronization in kvm_synchronize_tsc() David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 02/23] KVM: x86: Kill last_tsc_{nsec,write,offset} fields David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 03/23] KVM: x86: Replace nr_vcpus_matched_tsc count with all_vcpus_matched_tsc bool David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 04/23] KVM: x86: Allow KVM master clock mode when TSCs are offset from each other David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 05/23] KVM: x86: Factor out kvm_use_master_clock() David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 06/23] KVM: x86: Avoid gratuitous global clock updates David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 07/23] KVM: x86: Avoid redundant masterclock updates from multiple vCPUs David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 08/23] KVM: x86: Re-synchronize TSC after KVM_SET_TSC_KHZ David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 09/23] KVM: x86: Cache host vclock_mode for masterclock eligibility checks David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 10/23] KVM: x86: Remove pvclock_gtod_data and private timekeeping code David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 11/23] KVM: x86: Activate master clock from kvm_arch_init_vm() David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 12/23] UAPI: x86: Move pvclock-abi to UAPI for x86 platforms David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 13/23] KVM: selftests: Use UAPI pvclock-abi.h in xen_shinfo_test David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 14/23] KVM: x86: Add KVM_[GS]ET_CLOCK_GUEST for accurate KVM clock migration David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 15/23] KVM: selftests: Add library helpers for clock and TSC-offset ioctls David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 16/23] KVM: x86: Add KVM_VCPU_TSC_SCALE and fix the documentation on TSC migration David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 17/23] KVM: selftests: Add KVM/PV clock selftest to prove timer correction David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 18/23] KVM: selftests: Add master clock offset test David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 19/23] KVM: selftests: Add Xen/generic CPUID timing leaf test David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 20/23] KVM: selftests: Add Xen runstate migration test David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` David Woodhouse [this message]
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 22/23] KVM: x86/xen: Drop open-coded fallback clock read in kvm_xen_start_timer() David Woodhouse
2026-11-05 15:49 ` [PATCH v11 23/23] KVM: x86: Use a single time snapshot in kvm_vm_ioctl_set_clock() David Woodhouse

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