[libvirt] TSC scaling interface to management

[Dor Laor]

On 09/12/2012 06:39 PM, Marcelo Tosatti wrote:
>
>
> HW TSC scaling is a feature of AMD processors that allows a
> multiplier to be specified to the TSC frequency exposed to the guest.
>
> KVM also contains provision to trap TSC ("KVM: Infrastructure for
> software and hardware based TSC rate scaling" cc578287e3224d0da)
> or advance TSC frequency.
>
> This is useful when migrating to a host with different frequency and
> the guest is possibly using direct RDTSC instructions for purposes
> other than measuring cycles (that is, it previously calculated
> cycles-per-second, and uses that information which is stale after
> migration).
>
> "qemu-x86: Set tsc_khz in kvm when supported" (e7429073ed1a76518)
> added support for tsc_khz= option in QEMU.
>
> I am proposing the following changes so that management applications
> can work with this:
>
> 1) New option for tsc_khz, which is tsc_khz=host (QEMU command line
> option). Host means that QEMU is responsible for retrieving the
> TSC frequency of the host processor and use that.
> Management application does not have to deal with the burden.
>
> 2) New subsection with tsc_khz value. Destination host should consult
> supported features of running kernel and fail if feature is unsupported.
>
>
> It is not necessary to use this tsc_khz setting with modern guests
> using paravirtual clocks, or when its known that applications make
> proper use of the time interface provided by operating systems.
>
> On the other hand, legacy applications or setups which require no
> modification and correct operation while virtualized and make
> use of RDTSC might need this.
>
> Therefore it appears that this "tsc_khz=auto" option can be specified
> only if the user specifies so (it can be a per-guest flag hidden
> in the management configuration/manual).
>
> Sending this email to gather suggestions (or objections)
> to this interface.

I'm not sure I understand the exact difference between the offers.
We can define these 3 options:

1. Qemu/kvm won't make use of tsc scaling feature at all.
2. tsc scaling is used and we take the value either from the host or
    from the live migration data that overrides the later for incoming.
    As you've said, it should be passed through a sub section.
3. Manual setting of the value (uncommon).

Is there another option worth considering?
The questions is what should be the default. IMHO #2 is more appropriate 
to serve as a default since we do expect tsc to change between hosts.

Cheers,
Dor