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authorvenkatesh.pallipadi@intel.com <venkatesh.pallipadi@intel.com>2008-03-18 17:00:13 -0700
committerIngo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>2008-04-17 17:41:19 +0200
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x86: PAT documentation
Documentation about PAT related interfaces, intended usage and memory attribute relationship. Signed-off-by: Venkatesh Pallipadi <venkatesh.pallipadi@intel.com> Signed-off-by: Suresh Siddha <suresh.b.siddha@intel.com> Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>
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+
+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.
+
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