[PATCH 0/3 -mm] kexec based hibernation -v6

From: Huang, Ying
Date: Mon Nov 19 2007 - 02:01:09 EST


khibernation - kexec based hibernation


Kexec base hibernation has some potential advantages over u/swsusp and
TuxOnIce (suspend2). Some of them are as follow:

1. The hibernation image size can exceed half of memory size
easily. This is possible with TuxOnIce, but impossible with
u/swsusp.

2. It is possible to eliminate freezer from kexec based hibernation
implementation, after corresponding changes to device drivers are
done.

3. Based on kexec/kdump implementation, the kernel code needed is
less.


Now, only the i386 architecture is supported. The patchset is based on
Linux kernel 2.6.24-rc2-mm1, and has been tested on IBM T42 with ACPI
on and off.


The following user-space tools are needed to implement hibernation and
resume.

1. kexec-tools needs to be patched to support khibernation. The patches
and the precompiled kexec can be download from the following URL:
source: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/kexec-tools/kexec-tools-src_git_kh6.tar.bz2
patches: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/kexec-tools/kexec-tools-patches_git_kh6.tar.bz2
binary: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/kexec-tools/kexec_git_kh6

2. makedumpfile with patches are used as memory image saving tool, it
can exclude free pages from hibernation image file. The patches and
the precompiled makedumpfile can be download from the following
URL:
source: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/makedumpfile/makedumpfile-src_cvs_kh6.tar.bz2
patches: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/makedumpfile/makedumpfile-patches_cvs_kh6.tar.bz2
binary: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/makedumpfile/makedumpfile_cvs_kh6

3. A simplest memory image restoring tool named "krestore" is
implemented. It can be downloaded from the following URL:
source: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/krestore/krestore-src_cvs_kh6.tar.bz2
binary: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/krestore/krestore_cvs_kh6

4. A simplest jumping back image (hibernation image is a kind of
jumping back image) parameter dump tool name "kjump_back_param" is
implemented. It can be download from the following URL:
source: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/kjump_back_param/kjump_back_param-src_cvs_kh6.tar.bz2
source: http://khibernation.sourceforge.net/download/release_v6/kjump_back_param/kjump_back_param_cvs_kh6


Usage:

1. Compile and install patched kernel with following options selected:

CONFIG_X86_32=y
CONFIG_RELOCATABLE=y # not needed strictly, but it is more convenient with it
CONFIG_KEXEC=y
CONFIG_CRASH_DUMP=y # only needed by kexeced kernel to save/restore memory image
CONFIG_PM=y
CONFIG_HIBERNATION=y

2. Download, compile and install needed user-space tools. You can
download the git/cvs version and apply the patches, or download the
source tar ball directly. Required user-space tool include
kexec-tools, makedumpfile, krestore and kjump_back_param.

3. Prepare 2 root partition used by kernel A and kernel B/C, referred
to as /dev/hda, /dev/hdb in following text. This is not strictly
necessary, I use this setup for testing during development.

4. Boot kernel compiled for normal usage (kernel A).

5. Load kernel compiled for hibernating/resuming usage (kernel B) with
kexec, the same kernel as that of 4 can be used if
CONFIG_RELOCATABLE=y and CONFIG_CRASH_DUMP=y are selected.

The --elf64-core-headers should be specified in command line of
kexec, because only the 64bit ELF is supported by krestore tool.

For example, the shell command line can be as follow:

kexec --load-jump-back /boot/bzImage --mem-min=0x100000 --mem-max=0xffffff
--elf64-core-headers --append="root=/dev/hdb single"

6. Jump to the hibernating kernel (kernel B) with following shell
command line:

kexec -e

7. In the hibernating kernel (kernel B), jump back to hibernated
kernel (kernel A) with following shell command line:

cat /proc/cmdline | tr ' ' '\n' | grep kexec_jump_back_entry | cut -d '=' -f 2 > kexec_jump_back_entry
kexec --load-jump-back-helper --jump-back-entry=`cat kexec_jump_back_entry`
kexec -e

In step 6 and 7, the hibernating kernel (kernel B) is booted
without disturbing the ACPI state.

8. In the to be hibernated kernel (kernel A), start the real
hibernating process with following shell command line:

kexec --hibernate

The to be hibernated kernel will execute necessary ACPI methods and
jump to hibernating kernel (kernel B) again.

9. In the hibernating kernel (kernel B), the memory image of
hibernated kernel (kernel A) can be saved as follow:

kjump_back_param -j `cat kexec_jump_back_entry` /proc/vmcore > jump_back_param
grep arg2 jump_back_param | cut -d '=' -f 2 > backup_pages_map_root_entry
vmcoreinfo_addr=`grep arg3 jump_back_param | cut -d '=' -f 2`
vmcoreinfo_size=`grep arg4 jump_back_param | cut -d '=' -f 2`
./makedumpfile -D -E -d 16 -o $vmcoreinfo_size@$vmcoreinfo_addr -j `cat kexec_jump_back_entry` -M `cat backup_pages_map_root_entry` /proc/vmcore dump.elf

10. Entering ACPI S4 state with following command line:

kexec -e -c 0x6b630002

The hibernating kernel (kernel B) will jump back to hibernated
kernel again with a special command (0x6b630002: hibernate shut
down), and the hibernated kernel (kernel A) will entering ACPI S4
state.

11. Boot kernel (kernel C) compiled for hibernating/resuming usage on
the root file system /dev/hdb in memory range of kernel B.

For example, the following kernel command line parameters can be
used:

root=/dev/hdb single memmap=exactmap memmap=640K@0K memmap=15M@1M

12. In resuming kernel (kernel C), the memory image of kernel A can be
restored as follow:

krestore dump.elf

13. Resume the hibernated kernel (kernel A)

kexec --load-jump-back-helper --jump-back-entry=`cat kexec_jump_back_entry`
kexec --resume

The resuming kernel (kernel C) will jump back to hibernating
kernel (kernel A), and necessary ACPI methods will be executed.


Known issues:

- The suspend/resume callback of device drivers are used to put
devices into quiescent state. This will unnecessarily (possibly
harmfully) put devices into low power state. This is intended to be
solved by separating device quiesce/unquiesce callback from the
device suspend/resume callback.

- The memory image of hibernated kernel must be saved in a separate
partition not used by hibernated kernel. This is planned to be
solved through make hibernating/resuming kernel work on initramfs
and write the memory image to a file in partition used by hibernated
kernel through block list instead of ordinary file system operating.

- The setup of hibernate/resume is fairly complex. I will continue
working on simplifying.


TODO:

- Implement sys_kexec_store, that is, store the memory image of
kexeced kernel.

- Write the memory image to a file through block list instead of
ordinary file system operating.

- Simplify hibernate/resume setup.

- Resume from hibernation with bootloader.


ChangeLog:

v6:

- Add ACPI support.

- Refactor kexec jump to be a general facility to call real mode code.

v5:

- A flag (KEXEC_JUMP_BACK) is added to indicate the loaded kernel
image is used for jumping back. The reboot command for jumping back
is removed. This interface is more stable (proposed by Eric
Biederman).

- NX bit handling support for kexec is added.

- Merge machine_kexec and machine_kexec_jump, remove NO_RET attribute
from machine_kexec.

- Passing jump back entry to kexeced kernel via kernel command line
(parsed by user space tool via /proc/cmdline instead of
kernel). Original corresponding boot parameter and sysfs code is
removed.

v4:

- Two reboot command are merged back to one because the underlying
implementation is same.

- Jumping without reserving memory is implemented. As a side effect,
two direction jumping is implemented.

- A jump back protocol is defined and documented. The original kernel
and kexeced kernel are more independent from each other.

- The CPU state save/restore code are merged into relocate_kernel.S.

v3:

- The reboot command LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_KJUMP is split into to two
reboot command to reflect the different function.

- Document is added for added kernel parameters.

- /sys/kernel/kexec_jump_buf_pfn is made writable, it is used for
memory image restoring.

- Console restoring after jumping back is implemented.

- Writing support is added for /dev/oldmem, to restore memory contents
of hibernated system.

v2:

- The kexec jump implementation is put into the kexec/kdump framework
instead of software suspend framework. The device and CPU state
save/restore code of software suspend is called when needed.

- The same code path is used for both kexec a new kernel and jump back
to original kernel.

Best Regards,
Huang Ying
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