diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/kvm/api.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/kvm/api.txt | 683 |
1 files changed, 683 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/kvm/api.txt b/Documentation/kvm/api.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..1b1c22da211 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/kvm/api.txt @@ -0,0 +1,683 @@ +The Definitive KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) API Documentation +=================================================================== + +1. General description + +The kvm API is a set of ioctls that are issued to control various aspects +of a virtual machine. The ioctls belong to three classes + + - System ioctls: These query and set global attributes which affect the + whole kvm subsystem. In addition a system ioctl is used to create + virtual machines + + - VM ioctls: These query and set attributes that affect an entire virtual + machine, for example memory layout. In addition a VM ioctl is used to + create virtual cpus (vcpus). + + Only run VM ioctls from the same process (address space) that was used + to create the VM. + + - vcpu ioctls: These query and set attributes that control the operation + of a single virtual cpu. + + Only run vcpu ioctls from the same thread that was used to create the + vcpu. + +2. File descritpors + +The kvm API is centered around file descriptors. An initial +open("/dev/kvm") obtains a handle to the kvm subsystem; this handle +can be used to issue system ioctls. A KVM_CREATE_VM ioctl on this +handle will create a VM file descripror which can be used to issue VM +ioctls. A KVM_CREATE_VCPU ioctl on a VM fd will create a virtual cpu +and return a file descriptor pointing to it. Finally, ioctls on a vcpu +fd can be used to control the vcpu, including the important task of +actually running guest code. + +In general file descriptors can be migrated among processes by means +of fork() and the SCM_RIGHTS facility of unix domain socket. These +kinds of tricks are explicitly not supported by kvm. While they will +not cause harm to the host, their actual behavior is not guaranteed by +the API. The only supported use is one virtual machine per process, +and one vcpu per thread. + +3. Extensions + +As of Linux 2.6.22, the KVM ABI has been stabilized: no backward +incompatible change are allowed. However, there is an extension +facility that allows backward-compatible extensions to the API to be +queried and used. + +The extension mechanism is not based on on the Linux version number. +Instead, kvm defines extension identifiers and a facility to query +whether a particular extension identifier is available. If it is, a +set of ioctls is available for application use. + +4. API description + +This section describes ioctls that can be used to control kvm guests. +For each ioctl, the following information is provided along with a +description: + + Capability: which KVM extension provides this ioctl. Can be 'basic', + which means that is will be provided by any kernel that supports + API version 12 (see section 4.1), or a KVM_CAP_xyz constant, which + means availability needs to be checked with KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION + (see section 4.4). + + Architectures: which instruction set architectures provide this ioctl. + x86 includes both i386 and x86_64. + + Type: system, vm, or vcpu. + + Parameters: what parameters are accepted by the ioctl. + + Returns: the return value. General error numbers (EBADF, ENOMEM, EINVAL) + are not detailed, but errors with specific meanings are. + +4.1 KVM_GET_API_VERSION + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: system ioctl +Parameters: none +Returns: the constant KVM_API_VERSION (=12) + +This identifies the API version as the stable kvm API. It is not +expected that this number will change. However, Linux 2.6.20 and +2.6.21 report earlier versions; these are not documented and not +supported. Applications should refuse to run if KVM_GET_API_VERSION +returns a value other than 12. If this check passes, all ioctls +described as 'basic' will be available. + +4.2 KVM_CREATE_VM + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: system ioctl +Parameters: none +Returns: a VM fd that can be used to control the new virtual machine. + +The new VM has no virtual cpus and no memory. An mmap() of a VM fd +will access the virtual machine's physical address space; offset zero +corresponds to guest physical address zero. Use of mmap() on a VM fd +is discouraged if userspace memory allocation (KVM_CAP_USER_MEMORY) is +available. + +4.3 KVM_GET_MSR_INDEX_LIST + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: system +Parameters: struct kvm_msr_list (in/out) +Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error +Errors: + E2BIG: the msr index list is to be to fit in the array specified by + the user. + +struct kvm_msr_list { + __u32 nmsrs; /* number of msrs in entries */ + __u32 indices[0]; +}; + +This ioctl returns the guest msrs that are supported. The list varies +by kvm version and host processor, but does not change otherwise. The +user fills in the size of the indices array in nmsrs, and in return +kvm adjusts nmsrs to reflect the actual number of msrs and fills in +the indices array with their numbers. + +4.4 KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: system ioctl +Parameters: extension identifier (KVM_CAP_*) +Returns: 0 if unsupported; 1 (or some other positive integer) if supported + +The API allows the application to query about extensions to the core +kvm API. Userspace passes an extension identifier (an integer) and +receives an integer that describes the extension availability. +Generally 0 means no and 1 means yes, but some extensions may report +additional information in the integer return value. + +4.5 KVM_GET_VCPU_MMAP_SIZE + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: system ioctl +Parameters: none +Returns: size of vcpu mmap area, in bytes + +The KVM_RUN ioctl (cf.) communicates with userspace via a shared +memory region. This ioctl returns the size of that region. See the +KVM_RUN documentation for details. + +4.6 KVM_SET_MEMORY_REGION + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: vm ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_memory_region (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +struct kvm_memory_region { + __u32 slot; + __u32 flags; + __u64 guest_phys_addr; + __u64 memory_size; /* bytes */ +}; + +/* for kvm_memory_region::flags */ +#define KVM_MEM_LOG_DIRTY_PAGES 1UL + +This ioctl allows the user to create or modify a guest physical memory +slot. When changing an existing slot, it may be moved in the guest +physical memory space, or its flags may be modified. It may not be +resized. Slots may not overlap. + +The flags field supports just one flag, KVM_MEM_LOG_DIRTY_PAGES, which +instructs kvm to keep track of writes to memory within the slot. See +the KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG ioctl. + +It is recommended to use the KVM_SET_USER_MEMORY_REGION ioctl instead +of this API, if available. This newer API allows placing guest memory +at specified locations in the host address space, yielding better +control and easy access. + +4.6 KVM_CREATE_VCPU + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: vm ioctl +Parameters: vcpu id (apic id on x86) +Returns: vcpu fd on success, -1 on error + +This API adds a vcpu to a virtual machine. The vcpu id is a small integer +in the range [0, max_vcpus). + +4.7 KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG (vm ioctl) + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vm ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_dirty_log (in/out) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +/* for KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG */ +struct kvm_dirty_log { + __u32 slot; + __u32 padding; + union { + void __user *dirty_bitmap; /* one bit per page */ + __u64 padding; + }; +}; + +Given a memory slot, return a bitmap containing any pages dirtied +since the last call to this ioctl. Bit 0 is the first page in the +memory slot. Ensure the entire structure is cleared to avoid padding +issues. + +4.8 KVM_SET_MEMORY_ALIAS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vm ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_memory_alias (in) +Returns: 0 (success), -1 (error) + +struct kvm_memory_alias { + __u32 slot; /* this has a different namespace than memory slots */ + __u32 flags; + __u64 guest_phys_addr; + __u64 memory_size; + __u64 target_phys_addr; +}; + +Defines a guest physical address space region as an alias to another +region. Useful for aliased address, for example the VGA low memory +window. Should not be used with userspace memory. + +4.9 KVM_RUN + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: none +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error +Errors: + EINTR: an unmasked signal is pending + +This ioctl is used to run a guest virtual cpu. While there are no +explicit parameters, there is an implicit parameter block that can be +obtained by mmap()ing the vcpu fd at offset 0, with the size given by +KVM_GET_VCPU_MMAP_SIZE. The parameter block is formatted as a 'struct +kvm_run' (see below). + +4.10 KVM_GET_REGS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_regs (out) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Reads the general purpose registers from the vcpu. + +/* x86 */ +struct kvm_regs { + /* out (KVM_GET_REGS) / in (KVM_SET_REGS) */ + __u64 rax, rbx, rcx, rdx; + __u64 rsi, rdi, rsp, rbp; + __u64 r8, r9, r10, r11; + __u64 r12, r13, r14, r15; + __u64 rip, rflags; +}; + +4.11 KVM_SET_REGS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: all +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_regs (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Writes the general purpose registers into the vcpu. + +See KVM_GET_REGS for the data structure. + +4.12 KVM_GET_SREGS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_sregs (out) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Reads special registers from the vcpu. + +/* x86 */ +struct kvm_sregs { + struct kvm_segment cs, ds, es, fs, gs, ss; + struct kvm_segment tr, ldt; + struct kvm_dtable gdt, idt; + __u64 cr0, cr2, cr3, cr4, cr8; + __u64 efer; + __u64 apic_base; + __u64 interrupt_bitmap[(KVM_NR_INTERRUPTS + 63) / 64]; +}; + +interrupt_bitmap is a bitmap of pending external interrupts. At most +one bit may be set. This interrupt has been acknowledged by the APIC +but not yet injected into the cpu core. + +4.13 KVM_SET_SREGS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_sregs (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Writes special registers into the vcpu. See KVM_GET_SREGS for the +data structures. + +4.14 KVM_TRANSLATE + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_translation (in/out) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Translates a virtual address according to the vcpu's current address +translation mode. + +struct kvm_translation { + /* in */ + __u64 linear_address; + + /* out */ + __u64 physical_address; + __u8 valid; + __u8 writeable; + __u8 usermode; + __u8 pad[5]; +}; + +4.15 KVM_INTERRUPT + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_interrupt (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Queues a hardware interrupt vector to be injected. This is only +useful if in-kernel local APIC is not used. + +/* for KVM_INTERRUPT */ +struct kvm_interrupt { + /* in */ + __u32 irq; +}; + +Note 'irq' is an interrupt vector, not an interrupt pin or line. + +4.16 KVM_DEBUG_GUEST + +Capability: basic +Architectures: none +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: none) +Returns: -1 on error + +Support for this has been removed. Use KVM_SET_GUEST_DEBUG instead. + +4.17 KVM_GET_MSRS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_msrs (in/out) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Reads model-specific registers from the vcpu. Supported msr indices can +be obtained using KVM_GET_MSR_INDEX_LIST. + +struct kvm_msrs { + __u32 nmsrs; /* number of msrs in entries */ + __u32 pad; + + struct kvm_msr_entry entries[0]; +}; + +struct kvm_msr_entry { + __u32 index; + __u32 reserved; + __u64 data; +}; + +Application code should set the 'nmsrs' member (which indicates the +size of the entries array) and the 'index' member of each array entry. +kvm will fill in the 'data' member. + +4.18 KVM_SET_MSRS + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_msrs (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Writes model-specific registers to the vcpu. See KVM_GET_MSRS for the +data structures. + +Application code should set the 'nmsrs' member (which indicates the +size of the entries array), and the 'index' and 'data' members of each +array entry. + +4.19 KVM_SET_CPUID + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_cpuid (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Defines the vcpu responses to the cpuid instruction. Applications +should use the KVM_SET_CPUID2 ioctl if available. + + +struct kvm_cpuid_entry { + __u32 function; + __u32 eax; + __u32 ebx; + __u32 ecx; + __u32 edx; + __u32 padding; +}; + +/* for KVM_SET_CPUID */ +struct kvm_cpuid { + __u32 nent; + __u32 padding; + struct kvm_cpuid_entry entries[0]; +}; + +4.20 KVM_SET_SIGNAL_MASK + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_signal_mask (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Defines which signals are blocked during execution of KVM_RUN. This +signal mask temporarily overrides the threads signal mask. Any +unblocked signal received (except SIGKILL and SIGSTOP, which retain +their traditional behaviour) will cause KVM_RUN to return with -EINTR. + +Note the signal will only be delivered if not blocked by the original +signal mask. + +/* for KVM_SET_SIGNAL_MASK */ +struct kvm_signal_mask { + __u32 len; + __u8 sigset[0]; +}; + +4.21 KVM_GET_FPU + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_fpu (out) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Reads the floating point state from the vcpu. + +/* for KVM_GET_FPU and KVM_SET_FPU */ +struct kvm_fpu { + __u8 fpr[8][16]; + __u16 fcw; + __u16 fsw; + __u8 ftwx; /* in fxsave format */ + __u8 pad1; + __u16 last_opcode; + __u64 last_ip; + __u64 last_dp; + __u8 xmm[16][16]; + __u32 mxcsr; + __u32 pad2; +}; + +4.22 KVM_SET_FPU + +Capability: basic +Architectures: x86 +Type: vcpu ioctl +Parameters: struct kvm_fpu (in) +Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error + +Writes the floating point state to the vcpu. + +/* for KVM_GET_FPU and KVM_SET_FPU */ +struct kvm_fpu { + __u8 fpr[8][16]; + __u16 fcw; + __u16 fsw; + __u8 ftwx; /* in fxsave format */ + __u8 pad1; + __u16 last_opcode; + __u64 last_ip; + __u64 last_dp; + __u8 xmm[16][16]; + __u32 mxcsr; + __u32 pad2; +}; + +5. The kvm_run structure + +Application code obtains a pointer to the kvm_run structure by +mmap()ing a vcpu fd. From that point, application code can control +execution by changing fields in kvm_run prior to calling the KVM_RUN +ioctl, and obtain information about the reason KVM_RUN returned by +looking up structure members. + +struct kvm_run { + /* in */ + __u8 request_interrupt_window; + +Request that KVM_RUN return when it becomes possible to inject external +interrupts into the guest. Useful in conjunction with KVM_INTERRUPT. + + __u8 padding1[7]; + + /* out */ + __u32 exit_reason; + +When KVM_RUN has returned successfully (return value 0), this informs +application code why KVM_RUN has returned. Allowable values for this +field are detailed below. + + __u8 ready_for_interrupt_injection; + +If request_interrupt_window has been specified, this field indicates +an interrupt can be injected now with KVM_INTERRUPT. + + __u8 if_flag; + +The value of the current interrupt flag. Only valid if in-kernel +local APIC is not used. + + __u8 padding2[2]; + + /* in (pre_kvm_run), out (post_kvm_run) */ + __u64 cr8; + +The value of the cr8 register. Only valid if in-kernel local APIC is +not used. Both input and output. + + __u64 apic_base; + +The value of the APIC BASE msr. Only valid if in-kernel local +APIC is not used. Both input and output. + + union { + /* KVM_EXIT_UNKNOWN */ + struct { + __u64 hardware_exit_reason; + } hw; + +If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_UNKNOWN, the vcpu has exited due to unknown +reasons. Further architecture-specific information is available in +hardware_exit_reason. + + /* KVM_EXIT_FAIL_ENTRY */ + struct { + __u64 hardware_entry_failure_reason; + } fail_entry; + +If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_FAIL_ENTRY, the vcpu could not be run due +to unknown reasons. Further architecture-specific information is +available in hardware_entry_failure_reason. + + /* KVM_EXIT_EXCEPTION */ + struct { + __u32 exception; + __u32 error_code; + } ex; + +Unused. + + /* KVM_EXIT_IO */ + struct { +#define KVM_EXIT_IO_IN 0 +#define KVM_EXIT_IO_OUT 1 + __u8 direction; + __u8 size; /* bytes */ + __u16 port; + __u32 count; + __u64 data_offset; /* relative to kvm_run start */ + } io; + +If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_IO_IN or KVM_EXIT_IO_OUT, then the vcpu has +executed a port I/O instruction which could not be satisfied by kvm. +data_offset describes where the data is located (KVM_EXIT_IO_OUT) or +where kvm expects application code to place the data for the next +KVM_RUN invocation (KVM_EXIT_IO_IN). Data format is a patcked array. + + struct { + struct kvm_debug_exit_arch arch; + } debug; + +Unused. + + /* KVM_EXIT_MMIO */ + struct { + __u64 phys_addr; + __u8 data[8]; + __u32 len; + __u8 is_write; + } mmio; + +If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_MMIO or KVM_EXIT_IO_OUT, then the vcpu has +executed a memory-mapped I/O instruction which could not be satisfied +by kvm. The 'data' member contains the written data if 'is_write' is +true, and should be filled by application code otherwise. + + /* KVM_EXIT_HYPERCALL */ + struct { + __u64 nr; + __u64 args[6]; + __u64 ret; + __u32 longmode; + __u32 pad; + } hypercall; + +Unused. + + /* KVM_EXIT_TPR_ACCESS */ + struct { + __u64 rip; + __u32 is_write; + __u32 pad; + } tpr_access; + +To be documented (KVM_TPR_ACCESS_REPORTING). + + /* KVM_EXIT_S390_SIEIC */ + struct { + __u8 icptcode; + __u64 mask; /* psw upper half */ + __u64 addr; /* psw lower half */ + __u16 ipa; + __u32 ipb; + } s390_sieic; + +s390 specific. + + /* KVM_EXIT_S390_RESET */ +#define KVM_S390_RESET_POR 1 +#define KVM_S390_RESET_CLEAR 2 +#define KVM_S390_RESET_SUBSYSTEM 4 +#define KVM_S390_RESET_CPU_INIT 8 +#define KVM_S390_RESET_IPL 16 + __u64 s390_reset_flags; + +s390 specific. + + /* KVM_EXIT_DCR */ + struct { + __u32 dcrn; + __u32 data; + __u8 is_write; + } dcr; + +powerpc specific. + + /* Fix the size of the union. */ + char padding[256]; + }; +}; |