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Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH v3] xen: introduce VCPUOP_register_runstate_phys_memory_area hypercall



Jan,

On 11.06.19 13:22, Andrii Anisov wrote:
Hello Jan,

On 11.06.19 12:10, Jan Beulich wrote:
Except when there's no need for KPTI in the guest in the first place,
as is the case for x86-64 PV guests. I think this is worthwhile clarifying.

I am not sure what is your point here. At least on Arm, using virtual address is
not safe at all (whether KPTI is used or not). A guest can genuinely decides to
shatter the mapping where the virtual address is. On Arm, this require to use
the break-before-make sequence. It means the translation VA -> PA may fail is
you happen to do it while the guest is using the sequence.

Some of the intermittent issues I have seen on the Arndale in the past [1] might
be related to using virtual address. I am not 100% sure because even if the
debug, the error does not make sense. But this is the most plausible reason for
the failure.

All fine, but Arm-specific. The point of my comment was to ask to call
out that there is one environment (x86-64 PV) where this KPTI
discussion is entirely inapplicable.

I admit that x86 specifics are quite unclear to me so clarifications and 
corrections in that domain are desirable.

Could you please elaborate more about this?
Do you mean that more words should be added to the commit message about x86?
If so, please provide what is proper from your point of view.

--
Sincerely,
Andrii Anisov.

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