Re: [RFC] arch generic way to trigger unknown NMIs

From: Cyrill Gorcunov
Date: Sat Oct 16 2010 - 12:37:12 EST


On Sat, Oct 16, 2010 at 05:15:16PM +0100, Maciej W. Rozycki wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Oct 2010, Cyrill Gorcunov wrote:
>
> > Hi Maciej, the send_IPI_self could be modified to send NMI (at moment it
> > uses self shortcut with fixed delivery mode). The question is rather if
> > we need it without a real caller yet. When Don's patch gets merged we
> > will have a real caller then and could update send_IPI_self to support
> > NMI delivery mode. Something like that :)
>
> Sounds backwards to me. My understanding is a need has just arisen, so
> why not:
>
> 1. Update send_IPI_self().
>
> 2. Add code that makes use of the new functionality.
>
> 3. Submit all the changes as self-contained patches in a single series to
> be applied at the same time.
>
> ? That's what I'd imagine the most natural way of doing this would be.
>
> Maciej
>

Well, Maciej I believe the problem is not in modifying send_IPI_self
but rather _how_ to make it more natural and do not introduce overhead.
apic code is already weird enough :) Need to think.

(
btw, we will have to add additional flag which would check for NMI
being generated by "NMI-tester" and make a second apic write to
ICR to deassert level line, ie it could be something like

apic->send_IPI_self(NMI_VECTOR) ; with asserts level
default_do_nmi() ; check for NMI being sent for testing purpose
apic->send_IPI_self(NMI_VECTOR) ; with deasserts level

iirc apic itself doesn't deassert nmi line on message with
nmi deliver mode arrival
)

Cyrill
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