diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/powerpc/hvcs.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/powerpc/hvcs.txt | 567 |
1 files changed, 567 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/powerpc/hvcs.txt b/Documentation/powerpc/hvcs.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c0a62e1 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/powerpc/hvcs.txt @@ -0,0 +1,567 @@ +=========================================================================== + HVCS + IBM "Hypervisor Virtual Console Server" Installation Guide + for Linux Kernel 2.6.4+ + Copyright (C) 2004 IBM Corporation + +=========================================================================== +NOTE:Eight space tabs are the optimum editor setting for reading this file. +=========================================================================== + + Author(s) : Ryan S. Arnold <rsa@us.ibm.com> + Date Created: March, 02, 2004 + Last Changed: August, 24, 2004 + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Table of contents: + + 1. Driver Introduction: + 2. System Requirements + 3. Build Options: + 3.1 Built-in: + 3.2 Module: + 4. Installation: + 5. Connection: + 6. Disconnection: + 7. Configuration: + 8. Questions & Answers: + 9. Reporting Bugs: + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +1. Driver Introduction: + +This is the device driver for the IBM Hypervisor Virtual Console Server, +"hvcs". The IBM hvcs provides a tty driver interface to allow Linux user +space applications access to the system consoles of logically partitioned +operating systems (Linux and AIX) running on the same partitioned Power5 +ppc64 system. Physical hardware consoles per partition are not practical +on this hardware so system consoles are accessed by this driver using +firmware interfaces to virtual terminal devices. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +2. System Requirements: + +This device driver was written using 2.6.4 Linux kernel APIs and will only +build and run on kernels of this version or later. + +This driver was written to operate solely on IBM Power5 ppc64 hardware +though some care was taken to abstract the architecture dependent firmware +calls from the driver code. + +Sysfs must be mounted on the system so that the user can determine which +major and minor numbers are associated with each vty-server. Directions +for sysfs mounting are outside the scope of this document. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +3. Build Options: + +The hvcs driver registers itself as a tty driver. The tty layer +dynamically allocates a block of major and minor numbers in a quantity +requested by the registering driver. The hvcs driver asks the tty layer +for 64 of these major/minor numbers by default to use for hvcs device node +entries. + +If the default number of device entries is adequate then this driver can be +built into the kernel. If not, the default can be over-ridden by inserting +the driver as a module with insmod parameters. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +3.1 Built-in: + +The following menuconfig example demonstrates selecting to build this +driver into the kernel. + + Device Drivers ---> + Character devices ---> + <*> IBM Hypervisor Virtual Console Server Support + +Begin the kernel make process. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +3.2 Module: + +The following menuconfig example demonstrates selecting to build this +driver as a kernel module. + + Device Drivers ---> + Character devices ---> + <M> IBM Hypervisor Virtual Console Server Support + +The make process will build the following kernel modules: + + hvcs.ko + hvcserver.ko + +To insert the module with the default allocation execute the following +commands in the order they appear: + + insmod hvcserver.ko + insmod hvcs.ko + +The hvcserver module contains architecture specific firmware calls and must +be inserted first, otherwise the hvcs module will not find some of the +symbols it expects. + +To override the default use an insmod parameter as follows (requesting 4 +tty devices as an example): + + insmod hvcs.ko hvcs_parm_num_devs=4 + +There is a maximum number of dev entries that can be specified on insmod. +We think that 1024 is currently a decent maximum number of server adapters +to allow. This can always be changed by modifying the constant in the +source file before building. + +NOTE: The length of time it takes to insmod the driver seems to be related +to the number of tty interfaces the registering driver requests. + +In order to remove the driver module execute the following command: + + rmmod hvcs.ko + +The recommended method for installing hvcs as a module is to use depmod to +build a current modules.dep file in /lib/modules/`uname -r` and then +execute: + +modprobe hvcs hvcs_parm_num_devs=4 + +The modules.dep file indicates that hvcserver.ko needs to be inserted +before hvcs.ko and modprobe uses this file to smartly insert the modules in +the proper order. + +The following modprobe command is used to remove hvcs and hvcserver in the +proper order: + +modprobe -r hvcs + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +4. Installation: + +The tty layer creates sysfs entries which contain the major and minor +numbers allocated for the hvcs driver. The following snippet of "tree" +output of the sysfs directory shows where these numbers are presented: + + sys/ + |-- *other sysfs base dirs* + | + |-- class + | |-- *other classes of devices* + | | + | `-- tty + | |-- *other tty devices* + | | + | |-- hvcs0 + | | `-- dev + | |-- hvcs1 + | | `-- dev + | |-- hvcs2 + | | `-- dev + | |-- hvcs3 + | | `-- dev + | | + | |-- *other tty devices* + | + |-- *other sysfs base dirs* + +For the above examples the following output is a result of cat'ing the +"dev" entry in the hvcs directory: + + Pow5:/sys/class/tty/hvcs0/ # cat dev + 254:0 + + Pow5:/sys/class/tty/hvcs1/ # cat dev + 254:1 + + Pow5:/sys/class/tty/hvcs2/ # cat dev + 254:2 + + Pow5:/sys/class/tty/hvcs3/ # cat dev + 254:3 + +The output from reading the "dev" attribute is the char device major and +minor numbers that the tty layer has allocated for this driver's use. Most +systems running hvcs will already have the device entries created or udev +will do it automatically. + +Given the example output above, to manually create a /dev/hvcs* node entry +mknod can be used as follows: + + mknod /dev/hvcs0 c 254 0 + mknod /dev/hvcs1 c 254 1 + mknod /dev/hvcs2 c 254 2 + mknod /dev/hvcs3 c 254 3 + +Using mknod to manually create the device entries makes these device nodes +persistent. Once created they will exist prior to the driver insmod. + +Attempting to connect an application to /dev/hvcs* prior to insertion of +the hvcs module will result in an error message similar to the following: + + "/dev/hvcs*: No such device". + +NOTE: Just because there is a device node present doesn't mean that there +is a vty-server device configured for that node. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +5. Connection + +Since this driver controls devices that provide a tty interface a user can +interact with the device node entries using any standard tty-interactive +method (e.g. "cat", "dd", "echo"). The intent of this driver however, is +to provide real time console interaction with a Linux partition's console, +which requires the use of applications that provide bi-directional, +interactive I/O with a tty device. + +Applications (e.g. "minicom" and "screen") that act as terminal emulators +or perform terminal type control sequence conversion on the data being +passed through them are NOT acceptable for providing interactive console +I/O. These programs often emulate antiquated terminal types (vt100 and +ANSI) and expect inbound data to take the form of one of these supported +terminal types but they either do not convert, or do not _adequately_ +convert, outbound data into the terminal type of the terminal which invoked +them (though screen makes an attempt and can apparently be configured with +much termcap wrestling.) + +For this reason kermit and cu are two of the recommended applications for +interacting with a Linux console via an hvcs device. These programs simply +act as a conduit for data transfer to and from the tty device. They do not +require inbound data to take the form of a particular terminal type, nor do +they cook outbound data to a particular terminal type. + +In order to ensure proper functioning of console applications one must make +sure that once connected to a /dev/hvcs console that the console's $TERM +env variable is set to the exact terminal type of the terminal emulator +used to launch the interactive I/O application. If one is using xterm and +kermit to connect to /dev/hvcs0 when the console prompt becomes available +one should "export TERM=xterm" on the console. This tells ncurses +applications that are invoked from the console that they should output +control sequences that xterm can understand. + +As a precautionary measure an hvcs user should always "exit" from their +session before disconnecting an application such as kermit from the device +node. If this is not done, the next user to connect to the console will +continue using the previous user's logged in session which includes +using the $TERM variable that the previous user supplied. + +Hotplug add and remove of vty-server adapters affects which /dev/hvcs* node +is used to connect to each vty-server adapter. In order to determine which +vty-server adapter is associated with which /dev/hvcs* node a special sysfs +attribute has been added to each vty-server sysfs entry. This entry is +called "index" and showing it reveals an integer that refers to the +/dev/hvcs* entry to use to connect to that device. For instance cating the +index attribute of vty-server adapter 30000004 shows the following. + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # cat index + 2 + +This index of '2' means that in order to connect to vty-server adapter +30000004 the user should interact with /dev/hvcs2. + +It should be noted that due to the system hotplug I/O capabilities of a +system the /dev/hvcs* entry that interacts with a particular vty-server +adapter is not guarenteed to remain the same across system reboots. Look +in the Q & A section for more on this issue. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +6. Disconnection + +As a security feature to prevent the delivery of stale data to an +unintended target the Power5 system firmware disables the fetching of data +and discards that data when a connection between a vty-server and a vty has +been severed. As an example, when a vty-server is immediately disconnected +from a vty following output of data to the vty the vty adapter may not have +enough time between when it received the data interrupt and when the +connection was severed to fetch the data from firmware before the fetch is +disabled by firmware. + +When hvcs is being used to serve consoles this behavior is not a huge issue +because the adapter stays connected for large amounts of time following +almost all data writes. When hvcs is being used as a tty conduit to tunnel +data between two partitions [see Q & A below] this is a huge problem +because the standard Linux behavior when cat'ing or dd'ing data to a device +is to open the tty, send the data, and then close the tty. If this driver +manually terminated vty-server connections on tty close this would close +the vty-server and vty connection before the target vty has had a chance to +fetch the data. + +Additionally, disconnecting a vty-server and vty only on module removal or +adapter removal is impractical because other vty-servers in other +partitions may require the usage of the target vty at any time. + +Due to this behavioral restriction disconnection of vty-servers from the +connected vty is a manual procedure using a write to a sysfs attribute +outlined below, on the other hand the initial vty-server connection to a +vty is established automatically by this driver. Manual vty-server +connection is never required. + +In order to terminate the connection between a vty-server and vty the +"vterm_state" sysfs attribute within each vty-server's sysfs entry is used. +Reading this attribute reveals the current connection state of the +vty-server adapter. A zero means that the vty-server is not connected to a +vty. A one indicates that a connection is active. + +Writing a '0' (zero) to the vterm_state attribute will disconnect the VTERM +connection between the vty-server and target vty ONLY if the vterm_state +previously read '1'. The write directive is ignored if the vterm_state +read '0' or if any value other than '0' was written to the vterm_state +attribute. The following example will show the method used for verifying +the vty-server connection status and disconnecting a vty-server connection. + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # cat vterm_state + 1 + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # echo 0 > vterm_state + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # cat vterm_state + 0 + +All vty-server connections are automatically terminated when the device is +hotplug removed and when the module is removed. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +7. Configuration + +Each vty-server has a sysfs entry in the /sys/devices/vio directory, which +is symlinked in several other sysfs tree directories, notably under the +hvcs driver entry, which looks like the following example: + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs # ls + . .. 30000003 30000004 rescan + +By design, firmware notifies the hvcs driver of vty-server lifetimes and +partner vty removals but not the addition of partner vtys. Since an HMC +Super Admin can add partner info dynamically we have provided the hvcs +driver sysfs directory with the "rescan" update attribute which will query +firmware and update the partner info for all the vty-servers that this +driver manages. Writing a '1' to the attribute triggers the update. An +explicit example follows: + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs # echo 1 > rescan + +Reading the attribute will indicate a state of '1' or '0'. A one indicates +that an update is in process. A zero indicates that an update has +completed or was never executed. + +Vty-server entries in this directory are a 32 bit partition unique unit +address that is created by firmware. An example vty-server sysfs entry +looks like the following: + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # ls + . current_vty devspec name partner_vtys + .. detach_state index partner_clcs vterm_state + +Each entry is provided, by default with a "name" attribute. Reading the +"name" attribute will reveal the device type as shown in the following +example: + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000003 # cat name + vty-server + +Each entry is also provided, by default, with a "devspec" attribute which +reveals the full device specification when read, as shown in the following +example: + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # cat devspec + /vdevice/vty-server@30000004 + +Each vty-server sysfs dir is provided with two read-only attributes that +provide lists of easily parsed partner vty data: "partner_vtys" and +"partner_clcs". + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # cat partner_vtys + 30000000 + 30000001 + 30000002 + 30000000 + 30000000 + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # cat partner_clcs + U5112.428.103048A-V3-C0 + U5112.428.103048A-V3-C2 + U5112.428.103048A-V3-C3 + U5112.428.103048A-V4-C0 + U5112.428.103048A-V5-C0 + +Reading partner_vtys returns a list of partner vtys. Vty unit address +numbering is only per-partition-unique so entries will frequently repeat. + +Reading partner_clcs returns a list of "converged location codes" which are +composed of a system serial number followed by "-V*", where the '*' is the +target partition number, and "-C*", where the '*' is the slot of the +adapter. The first vty partner corresponds to the first clc item, the +second vty partner to the second clc item, etc. + +A vty-server can only be connected to a single vty at a time. The entry, +"current_vty" prints the clc of the currently selected partner vty when +read. + +The current_vty can be changed by writing a valid partner clc to the entry +as in the following example: + + Pow5:/sys/bus/vio/drivers/hvcs/30000004 # echo U5112.428.10304 + 8A-V4-C0 > current_vty + +Changing the current_vty when a vty-server is already connected to a vty +does not affect the current connection. The change takes effect when the +currently open connection is freed. + +Information on the "vterm_state" attribute was covered earlier on the +chapter entitled "disconnection". + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +8. Questions & Answers: +=========================================================================== +Q: What are the security concerns involving hvcs? + +A: There are three main security concerns: + + 1. The creator of the /dev/hvcs* nodes has the ability to restrict + the access of the device entries to certain users or groups. It + may be best to create a special hvcs group privilege for providing + access to system consoles. + + 2. To provide network security when grabbing the console it is + suggested that the user connect to the console hosting partition + using a secure method, such as SSH or sit at a hardware console. + + 3. Make sure to exit the user session when done with a console or + the next vty-server connection (which may be from another + partition) will experience the previously logged in session. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: How do I multiplex a console that I grab through hvcs so that other +people can see it: + +A: You can use "screen" to directly connect to the /dev/hvcs* device and +setup a session on your machine with the console group privileges. As +pointed out earlier by default screen doesn't provide the termcap settings +for most terminal emulators to provide adequate character conversion from +term type "screen" to others. This means that curses based programs may +not display properly in screen sessions. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: Why are the colors all messed up? +Q: Why are the control characters acting strange or not working? +Q: Why is the console output all strange and unintelligible? + +A: Please see the preceding section on "Connection" for a discussion of how +applications can affect the display of character control sequences. +Additionally, just because you logged into the console using and xterm +doesn't mean someone else didn't log into the console with the HMC console +(vt320) before you and leave the session logged in. The best thing to do +is to export TERM to the terminal type of your terminal emulator when you +get the console. Additionally make sure to "exit" the console before you +disconnect from the console. This will ensure that the next user gets +their own TERM type set when they login. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: When I try to CONNECT kermit to an hvcs device I get: +"Sorry, can't open connection: /dev/hvcs*"What is happening? + +A: Some other Power5 console mechanism has a connection to the vty and +isn't giving it up. You can try to force disconnect the consoles from the +HMC by right clicking on the partition and then selecting "close terminal". +Otherwise you have to hunt down the people who have console authority. It +is possible that you already have the console open using another kermit +session and just forgot about it. Please review the console options for +Power5 systems to determine the many ways a system console can be held. + +OR + +A: Another user may not have a connectivity method currently attached to a +/dev/hvcs device but the vterm_state may reveal that they still have the +vty-server connection established. They need to free this using the method +outlined in the section on "Disconnection" in order for others to connect +to the target vty. + +OR + +A: The user profile you are using to execute kermit probably doesn't have +permissions to use the /dev/hvcs* device. + +OR + +A: You probably haven't inserted the hvcs.ko module yet but the /dev/hvcs* +entry still exists (on systems without udev). + +OR + +A: There is not a corresponding vty-server device that maps to an existing +/dev/hvcs* entry. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: When I try to CONNECT kermit to an hvcs device I get: +"Sorry, write access to UUCP lockfile directory denied." + +A: The /dev/hvcs* entry you have specified doesn't exist where you said it +does? Maybe you haven't inserted the module (on systems with udev). + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: If I already have one Linux partition installed can I use hvcs on said +partition to provide the console for the install of a second Linux +partition? + +A: Yes granted that your are connected to the /dev/hvcs* device using +kermit or cu or some other program that doesn't provide terminal emulation. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: Can I connect to more than one partition's console at a time using this +driver? + +A: Yes. Of course this means that there must be more than one vty-server +configured for this partition and each must point to a disconnected vty. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: Does the hvcs driver support dynamic (hotplug) addition of devices? + +A: Yes, if you have dlpar and hotplug enabled for your system and it has +been built into the kernel the hvcs drivers is configured to dynamically +handle additions of new devices and removals of unused devices. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: For some reason /dev/hvcs* doesn't map to the same vty-server adapter +after a reboot. What happened? + +A: Assignment of vty-server adapters to /dev/hvcs* entries is always done +in the order that the adapters are exposed. Due to hotplug capabilities of +this driver assignment of hotplug added vty-servers may be in a different +order than how they would be exposed on module load. Rebooting or +reloading the module after dynamic addition may result in the /dev/hvcs* +and vty-server coupling changing if a vty-server adapter was added in a +slot inbetween two other vty-server adapters. Refer to the section above +on how to determine which vty-server goes with which /dev/hvcs* node. +Hint; look at the sysfs "index" attribute for the vty-server. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Q: Can I use /dev/hvcs* as a conduit to another partition and use a tty +device on that partition as the other end of the pipe? + +A: Yes, on Power5 platforms the hvc_console driver provides a tty interface +for extra /dev/hvc* devices (where /dev/hvc0 is most likely the console). +In order to get a tty conduit working between the two partitions the HMC +Super Admin must create an additional "serial server" for the target +partition with the HMC gui which will show up as /dev/hvc* when the target +partition is rebooted. + +The HMC Super Admin then creates an additional "serial client" for the +current partition and points this at the target partition's newly created +"serial server" adapter (remember the slot). This shows up as an +additional /dev/hvcs* device. + +Now a program on the target system can be configured to read or write to +/dev/hvc* and another program on the current partition can be configured to +read or write to /dev/hvcs*. Now you have a tty conduit between two +partitions. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- +9. Reporting Bugs: + +The proper channel for reporting bugs is either through the Linux OS +distribution company that provided your OS or by posting issues to the +ppc64 development mailing list at: + +linuxppc64-dev@lists.linuxppc.org + +This request is to provide a documented and searchable public exchange +of the problems and solutions surrounding this driver for the benefit of +all users. |
