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author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2008-04-18 08:25:51 -0700 |
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committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2008-04-18 08:25:51 -0700 |
commit | 9e9abecfc0ff3a9ad2ead954b37bbfcb863c775e (patch) | |
tree | 0c3ffda953b82750638a06507591ad587b565ff2 /Documentation/x86/pat.txt | |
parent | d7bb545d86825e635cab33a1dd81ca0ad7b92887 (diff) | |
parent | 77ad386e596c6b0930cc2e09e3cce485e3ee7f72 (diff) | |
download | op-kernel-dev-9e9abecfc0ff3a9ad2ead954b37bbfcb863c775e.zip op-kernel-dev-9e9abecfc0ff3a9ad2ead954b37bbfcb863c775e.tar.gz |
Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/x86/linux-2.6-x86
* 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/x86/linux-2.6-x86: (613 commits)
x86: standalone trampoline code
x86: move suspend wakeup code to C
x86: coding style fixes to arch/x86/kernel/acpi/sleep.c
x86: setup_trampoline() - fix section mismatch warning
x86: section mismatch fixes, #1
x86: fix paranoia about using BIOS quickboot mechanism.
x86: print out buggy mptable
x86: use cpu_online()
x86: use cpumask_of_cpu()
x86: remove unnecessary tmp local variable
x86: remove unnecessary memset()
x86: use ioapic_read_entry() and ioapic_write_entry()
x86: avoid redundant loop in io_apic_level_ack_pending()
x86: remove superfluous initialisation in boot code.
x86: merge mpparse_{32,64}.c
x86: unify mp_register_gsi
x86: unify mp_config_acpi_legacy_irqs
x86: unify mp_register_ioapic
x86: unify uniq_io_apic_id
x86: unify smp_scan_config
...
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/x86/pat.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/x86/pat.txt | 100 |
1 files changed, 100 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/x86/pat.txt b/Documentation/x86/pat.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..17965f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/x86/pat.txt @@ -0,0 +1,100 @@ + +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. + +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 | -- | UC | 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_MINUS | + mmap !SYNC flag | | | | + no alias to this area | | | | + and | | | | + MTRR says !WB | | | | + | | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------- + +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. + |