Re: [RFC PATCH 5/5] KVM: arm64: Enable HAFDBS for guests not on migration

[Tian Zheng]

On 9/2/2026 1:15 AM, Leonardo Bras wrote:
> @@ -2570,53 +2571,76 @@ int __init kvm_mmu_init(u32 hyp_va_bits)
>   
>   out_destroy_pgtable:
>   	kvm_pgtable_hyp_destroy(hyp_pgtable);
>   out_free_pgtable:
>   	kfree(hyp_pgtable);
>   	hyp_pgtable = NULL;
>   out:
>   	return err;
>   }
>   
> +static void kvm_set_hafdbs(struct kvm *kvm, bool set)
> +{
> +	/* Check if no action required */
> +	if (!!(kvm->arch.mmu.vtcr & VTCR_EL2_HD) == set)
> +		return;
> +
> +	if (set)
> +		kvm->arch.mmu.vtcr |= VTCR_EL2_HD;
> +	else
> +		kvm->arch.mmu.vtcr &= ~VTCR_EL2_HD;
> +
> +	kvm_make_all_cpus_request(kvm, KVM_REQ_RELOAD_STAGE2);
> +}
> +

Hi Leo,

HD alone is architecturally a no-op. According to the Arm spec, the
VTCR_EL2.HD field description reads: "When the Effective value of
VTCR_EL2.HA is 0, this field behaves as 0 for all purposes other than a
direct read of the value of this bit." So patch 5 as it stands never
actually enables stage-2 dirty management.

In the combined series, I'm planning to replace both kvm_set_hafdbs()
and our earlier enable/disable hooks with a single derived mode:

```
/*
 *   logging && HDBSS-capable  ->  HDBSS  (HD|HA|HDBSS)
 *   logging, no HDBSS         ->  off
 *   !logging, HAFDBS-capable  ->  HAFDBS (HD|HA)
 */
void kvm_arch_update_hw_dirty_mode(struct kvm *kvm)
{
	bool logging = atomic_read(&kvm->nr_memslots_dirty_logging) != 0;
	unsigned long target;

	if (logging && kvm_supports_hdbss(kvm))
		target = VTCR_EL2_HD | VTCR_EL2_HA | VTCR_EL2_HDBSS;
	else if (logging || !kvm_supports_hafdbs(kvm))
		target = 0;
	else
		target = VTCR_EL2_HD | VTCR_EL2_HA;
	...
}
```

HA is always set alongside HD by construction, so the no-op issue goes
away.

I'll fold this into the HDBSS v5 series when I send it out. Let me know
if you'd rather keep it in your v2 instead.

Thanks,
Tian