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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/x86/pat.txt')
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diff --git a/Documentation/x86/pat.txt b/Documentation/x86/pat.txt deleted file mode 100644 index cf08c9fff3cd..000000000000 --- a/Documentation/x86/pat.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,160 +0,0 @@ - -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 Write-back, Uncached, -Write-combined and 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_nocache | -- | UC- | UC- | - | | | | -ioremap_wc | -- | -- | WC | - | | | | -set_memory_uc | UC- | -- | -- | - set_memory_wb | | | | - | | | | -set_memory_wc | WC | -- | -- | - 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 | |(from exist-| (from exist- | - and | | ing alias)| ing alias) | - any alias to this area| | | | - | | | | -/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, -vm_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 vm_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. - - - -Notes: - --- 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] and set_memory_wb should be used in pairs, where driver will -first make a region uc or wc 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] 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. - |