summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/Documentation/x86/pat.txt
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2008-04-18 08:25:51 -0700
committerLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2008-04-18 08:25:51 -0700
commit9e9abecfc0ff3a9ad2ead954b37bbfcb863c775e (patch)
tree0c3ffda953b82750638a06507591ad587b565ff2 /Documentation/x86/pat.txt
parentd7bb545d86825e635cab33a1dd81ca0ad7b92887 (diff)
parent77ad386e596c6b0930cc2e09e3cce485e3ee7f72 (diff)
downloadop-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.txt100
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.
+
OpenPOWER on IntegriCloud