From: Zide Chen <zide.chen@intel.com>
To: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@google.com>,
Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>,
Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
Cc: kvm@vger.kernel.org, Jim Mattson <jmattson@google.com>,
Yosry Ahmed <yosry@kernel.org>, Andi Kleen <ak@linux.intel.com>,
Stephane Eranian <eranian@google.com>,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Mingwei Zhang <mizhang@google.com>,
Zide Chen <zide.chen@intel.com>,
Das Sandipan <Sandipan.Das@amd.com>,
Shukla Manali <Manali.Shukla@amd.com>,
Dapeng Mi <dapeng1.mi@linux.intel.com>,
Xudong Hao <xudong.hao@intel.com>
Subject: [PATCH v3 10/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Document GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET passthrough erratum
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2026 18:39:19 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20261106013927.166209-11-zide.chen@intel.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20261106013927.166209-1-zide.chen@intel.com>
IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET, introduced in PerfMon version 4,
inherits the MSR address and architecturally defined bits from
IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_OVF_CTRL, while providing additional bits to clear
new indicators in IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS.
From an emulation perspective, KVM handles it identically to the
OVF_CTRL MSR: reads return zero, and intercepted writes are guarded
against pmu->global_status_rsvd. No code changes are needed in KVM
to emulate this MSR.
However, to reduce VM exits, KVM passes through this MSR in mediated
PMU mode when GLOBAL_STATUS is also passed through. Consequently,
writes to bits that are valid on the host but unvirtualized by KVM
will not trigger a #GP (unlike when the MSR is intercepted). Except
for the known limitation where host Intel PT in system mode can
assert Trace_ToPA_PMI (bit 55), unvirtualized status bits are not set
while the guest is running, so clearing them has no negative effects.
Document this divergence in errata.rst.
Signed-off-by: Zide Chen <zide.chen@intel.com>
---
v3:
- New patch prompted by Jim and Yosry's review on unvirtualized
status bits.
---
Documentation/virt/kvm/x86/errata.rst | 10 +++++++++-
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/virt/kvm/x86/errata.rst b/Documentation/virt/kvm/x86/errata.rst
index a9cf0e004651..161ba6d1beb4 100644
--- a/Documentation/virt/kvm/x86/errata.rst
+++ b/Documentation/virt/kvm/x86/errata.rst
@@ -84,4 +84,12 @@ memory.
Note, this erratum does not affect AMD CPUs, which fully virtualize CR0.CD in
hardware, i.e. put the CPU caches into "no fill" mode when CR0.CD=1, even when
-running in the guest.
\ No newline at end of file
+running in the guest.
+
+IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET
+-----------------------------
+To reduce VM-exits on performance-critical paths, KVM passes through writes
+to IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_RESET (0x390) in mediated PMU mode when the guest's
+counters match hardware, without injecting #GP on unvirtualized bits. Because
+the MSR is read-as-zero and write-to-clear, this cannot leak host information
+to the guest.
--
2.56.0
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-11-06 1:50 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 19+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-11-06 1:39 [PATCH v3 00/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Add mediated vPMU PerfMon v5 support Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 01/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Remove redundant Perf Global Status MSR bit definitions Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 02/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Rename all_valid_pmc_idx to pmc_exists Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 03/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Rename reserved_bits to eventsel_rsvd in kvm_pmu Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 04/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Add PMC bitmap accessor helpers Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 05/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Drop nr_arch_{gp,fixed}_counters from kvm_pmu Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 06/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Expose kvm_host_pmu to vendor modules Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 07/18] perf/x86: Plumb counter bitmap from x86_pmu to x86_pmu_cap Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 08/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Switch to bitmask-based KVM PMU capabilities Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 09/18] perf/x86: Remove num_counters_{gp,fixed} from x86_pmu_capability Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` Zide Chen [this message]
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 11/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Emulate IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_STATUS_SET MSR Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 12/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Emulate IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_INUSE MSR Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 13/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Populate CPUID.0AH:ECX fixed-counter bitmap Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 14/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Factor out fixed counter control bit calculation Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 15/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Mask only OS/USR bits when filtering fixed counters Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 16/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Ignore AnyThread bit if CPUID.0AH:EDX[15] is set Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 17/18] KVM: x86/pmu: Advertise PerfMon version 5 on Intel hosts Zide Chen
2026-11-06 1:39 ` [PATCH v3 18/18] KVM: selftests: Support fixed counters bitmap in pmu_counters_test Zide Chen
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