Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1751668AbWCNHy5 (ORCPT ); Tue, 14 Mar 2006 02:54:57 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1752025AbWCNHy5 (ORCPT ); Tue, 14 Mar 2006 02:54:57 -0500 Received: from fsmlabs.com ([168.103.115.128]:3489 "EHLO spamalot.fsmlabs.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751668AbWCNHy4 (ORCPT ); Tue, 14 Mar 2006 02:54:56 -0500 X-ASG-Debug-ID: 1142322887-6771-3-0 X-Barracuda-URL: http://10.0.1.244:8000/cgi-bin/mark.cgi Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 23:59:03 -0800 (PST) From: Zwane Mwaikambo To: Zachary Amsden cc: Linux Kernel Mailing List X-ASG-Orig-Subj: Re: VMI Interface Proposal Documentation for I386, Part 2.2 Subject: Re: VMI Interface Proposal Documentation for I386, Part 2.2 In-Reply-To: <4415DC3D.4080807@vmware.com> Message-ID: References: <4415DC3D.4080807@vmware.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Barracuda-Spam-Score: 0.00 X-Barracuda-Spam-Status: No, SCORE=0.00 using global scores of TAG_LEVEL=1000.0 QUARANTINE_LEVEL=5.0 KILL_LEVEL=5.0 tests= X-Barracuda-Spam-Report: Code version 3.02, rules version 3.0.9728 Rule breakdown below pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1228 Lines: 25 On Mon, 13 Mar 2006, Zachary Amsden wrote: > One shortcut we have found most helpful is to simply disable NMI delivery > to the paravirtualized kernel. There is no reason NMIs can't be > supported, but typical uses for them are not as productive in a > virtualized environment. Watchdog NMIs are of limited use if the OS is > already correct and running on stable hardware; profiling NMIs are > similarly of less use, since this task is accomplished with more accuracy > in the VMM itself; and NMIs for machine check errors should be handled > outside of the VM. The addition of NMI support does create additional > complexity for the trap handling code in the VM, and although the task is > surmountable, the value proposal is debatable. Here, again, feedback > is desired. A guest unmaskable (with programmable interrupt frequency) event would certainly be of use and would take care of the majority of NMI users. Thanks, Zwane - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/