Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH 1/1] x86/PVHv2: Add memory map pointer to hvm_start_info struct

[Roger Pau Monné <roger.pau@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 09:20:09AM -0700, Maran Wilson wrote:
> On 3/13/2018 3:50 AM, Roger Pau Monné wrote:
> > On Fri, Mar 02, 2018 at 12:54:29PM -0800, Maran Wilson wrote:
> > > + * The layout of each entry in the memory map table is as follows:
> > > + *
> > > + *  0 +----------------+
> > > + *    | addr           | Base address
> > > + *  8 +----------------+
> > > + *    | size           | Size of mapping in bytes
> > > + * 16 +----------------+
> > > + *    | type           | Type of mapping as defined between the 
> > > hypervisor
> > > + *    |                | and guest it's starting. E820_TYPE_xxx, for 
> > > example.
> > This needs a link to the expected type values (or a reference). Or you
> > need to spell out the relation between the values and the memory types.
> 
> This field was discussed a good deal in v2 of the linux patches. I had
> originally defined this to be a specific type field, matching the x86/Linux
> definition for e820 memory mapping types. But Jan Beulich successfully
> argued that we should keep the definition of this particular interface
> agnostic to architecture and OS and not limit the field to specific values.
> I believe the central idea behind Jan's argument was to keep the interface
> x86-agnostic as well as preserving the option to add additional memory
> mapping types in the future without them being sanctioned by whoever
> maintains E820 type assignments.
> 
> That's why I changed the comment wording to what it is now. Basically
> spelling out the fact that this field simply needs to be agreed upon between
> the producer and the consumer since a hypervisor should generally know what
> type of guest it is starting. And I mentioned e820_type_xxx as the *example*
> of one such implementation, since that is the most obvious use case and the
> e820 types are part of the ACPI standard (and thus easy to find/reference).

IMO we should provide a list of matching values and types here, or
else how is a consumer supposed to use this?

This is the ABI used by Xen in order to boot guests, and as such
consumers need to know how to parse the type values given in the
memory map table. The types that you define should be labeled as x86
specific, but they must be written down somewhere.

Thanks, Roger.

_______________________________________________
Xen-devel mailing list
Xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://lists.xenproject.org/mailman/listinfo/xen-devel