Re: [ANNOUNCE] 2016-Q2 release of KVMGT (Was Re: KVMGT - the implementation of ...)

From: Jike Song
Date: Wed Jul 20 2016 - 00:54:45 EST


Hi all,

We are pleased to announce another update of Intel GVT-g for KVM.

Intel GVT-g for KVM (a.k.a. KVMGT) is a full GPU virtualization solution with mediated pass-through, starting from 5th generation Intel Coreâ processors with Intel Graphics processors. A virtual GPU instance is maintained for each VM, with part of performance critical resources directly assigned. The capability of running native graphics driver inside a VM, without hypervisor intervention in performance critical paths, achieves a good balance among performance, feature, and sharing capability.

Repositories:

- Kernel: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-kernel (2016q2-4.3.0 branch)
- Qemu: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-qemu (2016q2-2.3.0 branch)

This update consists of:
- KVMGT stable release for Xeon E3 v4 (Broadwell), E3 v5(Skylake), Intel Coreâ processors 5th generation (Boadwell) , 6th generation (Skylake)
- 2D/3D/Media workloads can run simultaneously in multiple guests

Known issues:
- At least 2GB memory is suggested for Guest Virtual Machine (VM) to run most 3D workloads.
- Using Windows Media Player play videos may cause host crash. Using VLC to play .ogg file may cause mosaic or slow response.
- Suggest to X window mode like xinit instead of lightdm to launch host if running heavy workload in both guest and host for more than 6 hours.
- Change i915.preemption_policy=3 in host kernel cmdline, if you see problem when running heavy 3D workloads in multiple Guests (>=3) in some extreme stress configuration.


Please subscribe to join the mailing list:
- https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/igvt-g

Official iGVT-g portal:
- https://01.org/igvt-g

More information about background, architecture and others about Intel GVT-g, can be found at:

http://www.linux-kvm.org/images/f/f3/01x08b-KVMGT-a.pdf
https://www.usenix.org/conference/atc14/technical-sessions/presentation/tian


Note:
The KVMGT project should be considered a work in progress. As such it is not a complete product nor should it be considered one. Extra care should be taken when testing and configuring a system to use the KVMGT project.


--
Thanks,
Jike

On 04/16/2016 02:31 PM, Jike Song wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> We are pleased to announce another update of Intel GVT-g for KVM.
>
> Intel GVT-g for KVM (a.k.a. KVMGT) is a full GPU virtualization solution with mediated pass-through, starting from 4th generation Intel Core(TM) processors with Intel Graphics processors. A virtual GPU instance is maintained for each VM, with part of performance critical resources directly assigned. The capability of running native graphics driver inside a VM, without hypervisor intervention in performance critical paths, achieves a good balance among performance, feature, and sharing capability.
>
>
> Repositories:
>
> Kernel: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-kernel (2016q1-4.3.0 branch)
> Qemu: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-qemu (2016q1-2.3.0 branch)
>
>
> This update consists of:
>
> - KVMGT now has better support for 5th generation (Broadwell) Intel Core(TM) processors, Xeon(R) E3 v4
> - A new feature, QEMU compositor display is added to support display VM in QEMU window. (use i915.enable_vgtbuffer=1 in kernel command line to enable this feature, disabled by default, details please refer to the Setup Guide)
> - 2D/3D/Media workloads can be run simultaneously in multiple guests.
> - Support both Windows Guest and Linux Guest(Win7-32, Win7-64, Win8.1-64, Ubuntu14.04-64)
> - Host Linux kernel has been upgraded from 4.2.0 to 4.3.0 (based on drm-intel)
> - KVMGT has preliminary support for 6th generation (Skylake) Intel Core(TM) processors.
>
>
> Known issues:
>
> - At least 2GB memory is suggested for VM to run most 3D workloads.
> - On some particular platform, assigning >2G memory to VM will cause Linux VM failed to boot up and Windows VM failed to load GFX driver.
> - Using VLC to play .ogg file may cause mosaic or slow response.
> - Running heavy 3D workloads in multiple guests for couple of hours may cause stability issue.(use i915.preemption_policy=3 in host kernel cmd line can work around this stability issue)
>
>
> Please subscribe to join the mailing list: https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/igvt-g
>
> Official iGVT-g portal: https://01.org/igvt-g
>
> More information about background, architecture and others about Intel GVT-g, can be found at:
>
>
> http://www.linux-kvm.org/images/f/f3/01x08b-KVMGT-a.pdf
> https://www.usenix.org/conference/atc14/technical-sessions/presentation/tian
>
>
> The upstreaming effort of iGVT-g project is ongoing elsewhere, not as a part of this release.
>
>
> Note:
>
> The KVMGT project should be considered a work in progress. As such it is not a complete product nor should it be considered one. Extra care should be taken when testing and configuring a system to use the KVMGT project.
>
>
> --
> Thanks,
> Jike
>
> On 01/27/2016 02:32 PM, Jike Song wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> We are pleased to announce another update of Intel GVT-g for KVM.
>>
>> Intel GVT-g for KVM (a.k.a. KVMGT) is a full GPU virtualization solution with mediated pass-through, starting from 4th generation Intel Core(TM) processors with Intel Graphics processors. A virtual GPU instance is maintained for each VM, with part of performance critical resources directly assigned. The capability of running native graphics driver inside a VM, without hypervisor intervention in performance critical paths, achieves a good balance among performance, feature, and sharing capability.
>>
>> Repositories:
>>
>> Kernel: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-kernel (2015q4-4.2.0 branch)
>> Qemu: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-qemu (kvmgt_public2015q4 branch)
>>
>> This update consists of:
>>
>> - KVMGT now has better support for 5th generation (Broadwell) Intel Core(TM) processors, 2D/3D/Media workloads can be run simultaneously in multiple guests.
>> - Host Linux kernel has been upgraded from 3.18.0 to 4.2.0 (based on drm-intel)
>>
>> Next update will be around early April, 2016.
>>
>> Known issues:
>>
>> - At least 2GB memory is suggested for VM to run most 3D workloads.
>> - Using VLC to play .ogg file may cause mosaic or slow response.
>> - Running heavy 3D workloads in multiple guests for couple of hours may cause stability issue.
>>
>> Official iGVT-g portal: https://01.org/igvt-g
>> Please subscribe the mailing list: https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/igvt-g
>>
>> More information about background, architecture and others about Intel GVT-g, can be found at:
>>
>> http://www.linux-kvm.org/images/f/f3/01x08b-KVMGT-a.pdf
>> https://www.usenix.org/conference/atc14/technical-sessions/presentation/tian
>>
>>
>> Note: The KVMGT project should be considered a work in progress. As such it is not a complete product nor should it be considered one. Extra care should be taken when testing and configuring a system to use the KVMGT project.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Thanks,
>> Jike
>>
>> On 10/27/2015 05:36 PM, Jike Song wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> We are pleased to announce another update of Intel GVT-g for KVM.
>>>
>>> Intel GVT-g is a full GPU virtualization solution with mediated pass-through, starting from 4th generation Intel Core(TM) processors with Intel Graphics processors. A virtual GPU instance is maintained for each VM, with part of performance critical resources directly assigned. The capability of running native graphics driver inside a VM, without hypervisor intervention in performance critical paths, achieves a good balance among performance, feature, and sharing capability. KVM is supported by Intel GVT-g(a.k.a. KVMGT).
>>>
>>>
>>> Repositories
>>>
>>> Kernel: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-kernel (2015q3-3.18.0 branch)
>>> Qemu: https://github.com/01org/igvtg-qemu (kvmgt_public2015q3 branch)
>>>
>>>
>>> This update consists of:
>>>
>>> - KVMGT is now merged with XenGT in unified repositories(kernel and qemu), but currently
>>> different branches for qemu. KVMGT and XenGT share same iGVT-g core logic.
>>> - PPGTT supported, hence the Windows guest support
>>> - KVMGT now supports both 4th generation (Haswell) and 5th generation (Broadwell) Intel Core(TM) processors
>>> - 2D/3D/Media decoding have been validated on Ubuntu 14.04 and Windows7/Windows 8.1
>>>
>>> Next update will be around early Jan, 2016.
>>>
>>> Known issues:
>>>
>>> - At least 2GB memory is suggested for VM to run most 3D workloads.
>>> - 3Dmark06 running in Windows VM may have some stability issue.
>>> - Using VLC to play .ogg file may cause mosaic or slow response.
>>>
>>>
>>> Please subscribe the mailing list to report BUGs, discuss, and/or contribute:
>>>
>>> https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/igvt-g
>>>
>>> More information about Intel GVT-g background, architecture, etc can be found at(may not be up-to-date):
>>>
>>> https://01.org/igvt-g
>>> http://www.linux-kvm.org/images/f/f3/01x08b-KVMGT-a.pdf
>>> https://www.usenix.org/conference/atc14/technical-sessions/presentation/tian
>>>
>>>
>>> Note:
>>>
>>> The KVMGT project should be considered a work in progress. As such it is not a complete product nor should it be considered one. Extra care should be taken when testing and configuring a system to use the KVMGT project.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Thanks,
>>> Jike
>>>
>>> On 12/04/2014 10:24 AM, Jike Song wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> We are pleased to announce the first release of KVMGT project. KVMGT is the implementation of Intel GVT-g technology, a full GPU virtualization solution. Under Intel GVT-g, a virtual GPU instance is maintained for each VM, with part of performance critical resources directly assigned. The capability of running native graphics driver inside a VM, without hypervisor intervention in performance critical paths, achieves a good balance of performance, feature, and sharing capability.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> KVMGT is still in the early stage:
>>>>
>>>> - Basic functions of full GPU virtualization works, guest can see a full-featured vGPU.
>>>> We ran several 3D workloads such as lightsmark, nexuiz, urbanterror and warsow.
>>>>
>>>> - Only Linux guest supported so far, and PPGTT must be disabled in guest through a
>>>> kernel parameter(see README.kvmgt in QEMU).
>>>>
>>>> - This drop also includes some Xen specific changes, which will be cleaned up later.
>>>>
>>>> - Our end goal is to upstream both XenGT and KVMGT, which shares ~90% logic for vGPU
>>>> device model (will be part of i915 driver), with only difference in hypervisor
>>>> specific services
>>>>
>>>> - insufficient test coverage, so please bear with stability issues :)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> There are things need to be improved, esp. the KVM interfacing part:
>>>>
>>>> 1 a domid was added to each KVMGT guest
>>>>
>>>> An ID is needed for foreground OS switching, e.g.
>>>>
>>>> # echo <domid> > /sys/kernel/vgt/control/foreground_vm
>>>>
>>>> domid 0 is reserved for host OS.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 2 SRCU workarounds.
>>>>
>>>> Some KVM functions, such as:
>>>>
>>>> kvm_io_bus_register_dev
>>>> install_new_memslots
>>>>
>>>> must be called *without* &kvm->srcu read-locked. Otherwise it hangs.
>>>>
>>>> In KVMGT, we need to register an iodev only *after* BAR registers are
>>>> written by guest. That means, we already have &kvm->srcu hold -
>>>> trapping/emulating PIO(BAR registers) makes us in such a condition.
>>>> That will make kvm_io_bus_register_dev hangs.
>>>>
>>>> Currently we have to disable rcu_assign_pointer() in such functions.
>>>>
>>>> These were dirty workarounds, your suggestions are high welcome!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 3 syscalls were called to access "/dev/mem" from kernel
>>>>
>>>> An in-kernel memslot was added for aperture, but using syscalls like
>>>> open and mmap to open and access the character device "/dev/mem",
>>>> for pass-through.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The source codes(kernel, qemu as well as seabios) are available at github:
>>>>
>>>> git://github.com/01org/KVMGT-kernel
>>>> git://github.com/01org/KVMGT-qemu
>>>> git://github.com/01org/KVMGT-seabios
>>>>
>>>> In the KVMGT-qemu repository, there is a "README.kvmgt" to be referred.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> More information about Intel GVT-g and KVMGT can be found at:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.usenix.org/conference/atc14/technical-sessions/presentation/tian
>>>> http://events.linuxfoundation.org/sites/events/files/slides/KVMGT-a%20Full%20GPU%20Virtualization%20Solution_1.pdf
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Appreciate your comments, BUG reports, and contributions!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Jike
>>>>