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diff --git a/Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt b/Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000..5ff4d2b8 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt @@ -0,0 +1,426 @@ + DMA Buffer Sharing API Guide + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + + Sumit Semwal + <sumit dot semwal at linaro dot org> + <sumit dot semwal at ti dot com> + +This document serves as a guide to device-driver writers on what is the dma-buf +buffer sharing API, how to use it for exporting and using shared buffers. + +Any device driver which wishes to be a part of DMA buffer sharing, can do so as +either the 'exporter' of buffers, or the 'user' of buffers. + +Say a driver A wants to use buffers created by driver B, then we call B as the +exporter, and A as buffer-user. + +The exporter +- implements and manages operations[1] for the buffer +- allows other users to share the buffer by using dma_buf sharing APIs, +- manages the details of buffer allocation, +- decides about the actual backing storage where this allocation happens, +- takes care of any migration of scatterlist - for all (shared) users of this + buffer, + +The buffer-user +- is one of (many) sharing users of the buffer. +- doesn't need to worry about how the buffer is allocated, or where. +- needs a mechanism to get access to the scatterlist that makes up this buffer + in memory, mapped into its own address space, so it can access the same area + of memory. + +dma-buf operations for device dma only +-------------------------------------- + +The dma_buf buffer sharing API usage contains the following steps: + +1. Exporter announces that it wishes to export a buffer +2. Userspace gets the file descriptor associated with the exported buffer, and + passes it around to potential buffer-users based on use case +3. Each buffer-user 'connects' itself to the buffer +4. When needed, buffer-user requests access to the buffer from exporter +5. When finished with its use, the buffer-user notifies end-of-DMA to exporter +6. when buffer-user is done using this buffer completely, it 'disconnects' + itself from the buffer. + + +1. Exporter's announcement of buffer export + + The buffer exporter announces its wish to export a buffer. In this, it + connects its own private buffer data, provides implementation for operations + that can be performed on the exported dma_buf, and flags for the file + associated with this buffer. + + Interface: + struct dma_buf *dma_buf_export(void *priv, struct dma_buf_ops *ops, + size_t size, int flags) + + If this succeeds, dma_buf_export allocates a dma_buf structure, and returns a + pointer to the same. It also associates an anonymous file with this buffer, + so it can be exported. On failure to allocate the dma_buf object, it returns + NULL. + +2. Userspace gets a handle to pass around to potential buffer-users + + Userspace entity requests for a file-descriptor (fd) which is a handle to the + anonymous file associated with the buffer. It can then share the fd with other + drivers and/or processes. + + Interface: + int dma_buf_fd(struct dma_buf *dmabuf) + + This API installs an fd for the anonymous file associated with this buffer; + returns either 'fd', or error. + +3. Each buffer-user 'connects' itself to the buffer + + Each buffer-user now gets a reference to the buffer, using the fd passed to + it. + + Interface: + struct dma_buf *dma_buf_get(int fd) + + This API will return a reference to the dma_buf, and increment refcount for + it. + + After this, the buffer-user needs to attach its device with the buffer, which + helps the exporter to know of device buffer constraints. + + Interface: + struct dma_buf_attachment *dma_buf_attach(struct dma_buf *dmabuf, + struct device *dev) + + This API returns reference to an attachment structure, which is then used + for scatterlist operations. It will optionally call the 'attach' dma_buf + operation, if provided by the exporter. + + The dma-buf sharing framework does the bookkeeping bits related to managing + the list of all attachments to a buffer. + +Until this stage, the buffer-exporter has the option to choose not to actually +allocate the backing storage for this buffer, but wait for the first buffer-user +to request use of buffer for allocation. + + +4. When needed, buffer-user requests access to the buffer + + Whenever a buffer-user wants to use the buffer for any DMA, it asks for + access to the buffer using dma_buf_map_attachment API. At least one attach to + the buffer must have happened before map_dma_buf can be called. + + Interface: + struct sg_table * dma_buf_map_attachment(struct dma_buf_attachment *, + enum dma_data_direction); + + This is a wrapper to dma_buf->ops->map_dma_buf operation, which hides the + "dma_buf->ops->" indirection from the users of this interface. + + In struct dma_buf_ops, map_dma_buf is defined as + struct sg_table * (*map_dma_buf)(struct dma_buf_attachment *, + enum dma_data_direction); + + It is one of the buffer operations that must be implemented by the exporter. + It should return the sg_table containing scatterlist for this buffer, mapped + into caller's address space. + + If this is being called for the first time, the exporter can now choose to + scan through the list of attachments for this buffer, collate the requirements + of the attached devices, and choose an appropriate backing storage for the + buffer. + + Based on enum dma_data_direction, it might be possible to have multiple users + accessing at the same time (for reading, maybe), or any other kind of sharing + that the exporter might wish to make available to buffer-users. + + map_dma_buf() operation can return -EINTR if it is interrupted by a signal. + + +5. When finished, the buffer-user notifies end-of-DMA to exporter + + Once the DMA for the current buffer-user is over, it signals 'end-of-DMA' to + the exporter using the dma_buf_unmap_attachment API. + + Interface: + void dma_buf_unmap_attachment(struct dma_buf_attachment *, + struct sg_table *); + + This is a wrapper to dma_buf->ops->unmap_dma_buf() operation, which hides the + "dma_buf->ops->" indirection from the users of this interface. + + In struct dma_buf_ops, unmap_dma_buf is defined as + void (*unmap_dma_buf)(struct dma_buf_attachment *, struct sg_table *); + + unmap_dma_buf signifies the end-of-DMA for the attachment provided. Like + map_dma_buf, this API also must be implemented by the exporter. + + +6. when buffer-user is done using this buffer, it 'disconnects' itself from the + buffer. + + After the buffer-user has no more interest in using this buffer, it should + disconnect itself from the buffer: + + - it first detaches itself from the buffer. + + Interface: + void dma_buf_detach(struct dma_buf *dmabuf, + struct dma_buf_attachment *dmabuf_attach); + + This API removes the attachment from the list in dmabuf, and optionally calls + dma_buf->ops->detach(), if provided by exporter, for any housekeeping bits. + + - Then, the buffer-user returns the buffer reference to exporter. + + Interface: + void dma_buf_put(struct dma_buf *dmabuf); + + This API then reduces the refcount for this buffer. + + If, as a result of this call, the refcount becomes 0, the 'release' file + operation related to this fd is called. It calls the dmabuf->ops->release() + operation in turn, and frees the memory allocated for dmabuf when exported. + +NOTES: +- Importance of attach-detach and {map,unmap}_dma_buf operation pairs + The attach-detach calls allow the exporter to figure out backing-storage + constraints for the currently-interested devices. This allows preferential + allocation, and/or migration of pages across different types of storage + available, if possible. + + Bracketing of DMA access with {map,unmap}_dma_buf operations is essential + to allow just-in-time backing of storage, and migration mid-way through a + use-case. + +- Migration of backing storage if needed + If after + - at least one map_dma_buf has happened, + - and the backing storage has been allocated for this buffer, + another new buffer-user intends to attach itself to this buffer, it might + be allowed, if possible for the exporter. + + In case it is allowed by the exporter: + if the new buffer-user has stricter 'backing-storage constraints', and the + exporter can handle these constraints, the exporter can just stall on the + map_dma_buf until all outstanding access is completed (as signalled by + unmap_dma_buf). + Once all users have finished accessing and have unmapped this buffer, the + exporter could potentially move the buffer to the stricter backing-storage, + and then allow further {map,unmap}_dma_buf operations from any buffer-user + from the migrated backing-storage. + + If the exporter cannot fulfil the backing-storage constraints of the new + buffer-user device as requested, dma_buf_attach() would return an error to + denote non-compatibility of the new buffer-sharing request with the current + buffer. + + If the exporter chooses not to allow an attach() operation once a + map_dma_buf() API has been called, it simply returns an error. + +Kernel cpu access to a dma-buf buffer object +-------------------------------------------- + +The motivation to allow cpu access from the kernel to a dma-buf object from the +importers side are: +- fallback operations, e.g. if the devices is connected to a usb bus and the + kernel needs to shuffle the data around first before sending it away. +- full transparency for existing users on the importer side, i.e. userspace + should not notice the difference between a normal object from that subsystem + and an imported one backed by a dma-buf. This is really important for drm + opengl drivers that expect to still use all the existing upload/download + paths. + +Access to a dma_buf from the kernel context involves three steps: + +1. Prepare access, which invalidate any necessary caches and make the object + available for cpu access. +2. Access the object page-by-page with the dma_buf map apis +3. Finish access, which will flush any necessary cpu caches and free reserved + resources. + +1. Prepare access + + Before an importer can access a dma_buf object with the cpu from the kernel + context, it needs to notify the exporter of the access that is about to + happen. + + Interface: + int dma_buf_begin_cpu_access(struct dma_buf *dmabuf, + size_t start, size_t len, + enum dma_data_direction direction) + + This allows the exporter to ensure that the memory is actually available for + cpu access - the exporter might need to allocate or swap-in and pin the + backing storage. The exporter also needs to ensure that cpu access is + coherent for the given range and access direction. The range and access + direction can be used by the exporter to optimize the cache flushing, i.e. + access outside of the range or with a different direction (read instead of + write) might return stale or even bogus data (e.g. when the exporter needs to + copy the data to temporary storage). + + This step might fail, e.g. in oom conditions. + +2. Accessing the buffer + + To support dma_buf objects residing in highmem cpu access is page-based using + an api similar to kmap. Accessing a dma_buf is done in aligned chunks of + PAGE_SIZE size. Before accessing a chunk it needs to be mapped, which returns + a pointer in kernel virtual address space. Afterwards the chunk needs to be + unmapped again. There is no limit on how often a given chunk can be mapped + and unmapped, i.e. the importer does not need to call begin_cpu_access again + before mapping the same chunk again. + + Interfaces: + void *dma_buf_kmap(struct dma_buf *, unsigned long); + void dma_buf_kunmap(struct dma_buf *, unsigned long, void *); + + There are also atomic variants of these interfaces. Like for kmap they + facilitate non-blocking fast-paths. Neither the importer nor the exporter (in + the callback) is allowed to block when using these. + + Interfaces: + void *dma_buf_kmap_atomic(struct dma_buf *, unsigned long); + void dma_buf_kunmap_atomic(struct dma_buf *, unsigned long, void *); + + For importers all the restrictions of using kmap apply, like the limited + supply of kmap_atomic slots. Hence an importer shall only hold onto at most 2 + atomic dma_buf kmaps at the same time (in any given process context). + + dma_buf kmap calls outside of the range specified in begin_cpu_access are + undefined. If the range is not PAGE_SIZE aligned, kmap needs to succeed on + the partial chunks at the beginning and end but may return stale or bogus + data outside of the range (in these partial chunks). + + Note that these calls need to always succeed. The exporter needs to complete + any preparations that might fail in begin_cpu_access. + +3. Finish access + + When the importer is done accessing the range specified in begin_cpu_access, + it needs to announce this to the exporter (to facilitate cache flushing and + unpinning of any pinned resources). The result of of any dma_buf kmap calls + after end_cpu_access is undefined. + + Interface: + void dma_buf_end_cpu_access(struct dma_buf *dma_buf, + size_t start, size_t len, + enum dma_data_direction dir); + + +Direct Userspace Access/mmap Support +------------------------------------ + +Being able to mmap an export dma-buf buffer object has 2 main use-cases: +- CPU fallback processing in a pipeline and +- supporting existing mmap interfaces in importers. + +1. CPU fallback processing in a pipeline + + In many processing pipelines it is sometimes required that the cpu can access + the data in a dma-buf (e.g. for thumbnail creation, snapshots, ...). To avoid + the need to handle this specially in userspace frameworks for buffer sharing + it's ideal if the dma_buf fd itself can be used to access the backing storage + from userspace using mmap. + + Furthermore Android's ION framework already supports this (and is otherwise + rather similar to dma-buf from a userspace consumer side with using fds as + handles, too). So it's beneficial to support this in a similar fashion on + dma-buf to have a good transition path for existing Android userspace. + + No special interfaces, userspace simply calls mmap on the dma-buf fd. + +2. Supporting existing mmap interfaces in exporters + + Similar to the motivation for kernel cpu access it is again important that + the userspace code of a given importing subsystem can use the same interfaces + with a imported dma-buf buffer object as with a native buffer object. This is + especially important for drm where the userspace part of contemporary OpenGL, + X, and other drivers is huge, and reworking them to use a different way to + mmap a buffer rather invasive. + + The assumption in the current dma-buf interfaces is that redirecting the + initial mmap is all that's needed. A survey of some of the existing + subsystems shows that no driver seems to do any nefarious thing like syncing + up with outstanding asynchronous processing on the device or allocating + special resources at fault time. So hopefully this is good enough, since + adding interfaces to intercept pagefaults and allow pte shootdowns would + increase the complexity quite a bit. + + Interface: + int dma_buf_mmap(struct dma_buf *, struct vm_area_struct *, + unsigned long); + + If the importing subsystem simply provides a special-purpose mmap call to set + up a mapping in userspace, calling do_mmap with dma_buf->file will equally + achieve that for a dma-buf object. + +3. Implementation notes for exporters + + Because dma-buf buffers have invariant size over their lifetime, the dma-buf + core checks whether a vma is too large and rejects such mappings. The + exporter hence does not need to duplicate this check. + + Because existing importing subsystems might presume coherent mappings for + userspace, the exporter needs to set up a coherent mapping. If that's not + possible, it needs to fake coherency by manually shooting down ptes when + leaving the cpu domain and flushing caches at fault time. Note that all the + dma_buf files share the same anon inode, hence the exporter needs to replace + the dma_buf file stored in vma->vm_file with it's own if pte shootdown is + requred. This is because the kernel uses the underlying inode's address_space + for vma tracking (and hence pte tracking at shootdown time with + unmap_mapping_range). + + If the above shootdown dance turns out to be too expensive in certain + scenarios, we can extend dma-buf with a more explicit cache tracking scheme + for userspace mappings. But the current assumption is that using mmap is + always a slower path, so some inefficiencies should be acceptable. + + Exporters that shoot down mappings (for any reasons) shall not do any + synchronization at fault time with outstanding device operations. + Synchronization is an orthogonal issue to sharing the backing storage of a + buffer and hence should not be handled by dma-buf itself. This is explictly + mentioned here because many people seem to want something like this, but if + different exporters handle this differently, buffer sharing can fail in + interesting ways depending upong the exporter (if userspace starts depending + upon this implicit synchronization). + +Miscellaneous notes +------------------- + +- Any exporters or users of the dma-buf buffer sharing framework must have + a 'select DMA_SHARED_BUFFER' in their respective Kconfigs. + +- In order to avoid fd leaks on exec, the FD_CLOEXEC flag must be set + on the file descriptor. This is not just a resource leak, but a + potential security hole. It could give the newly exec'd application + access to buffers, via the leaked fd, to which it should otherwise + not be permitted access. + + The problem with doing this via a separate fcntl() call, versus doing it + atomically when the fd is created, is that this is inherently racy in a + multi-threaded app[3]. The issue is made worse when it is library code + opening/creating the file descriptor, as the application may not even be + aware of the fd's. + + To avoid this problem, userspace must have a way to request O_CLOEXEC + flag be set when the dma-buf fd is created. So any API provided by + the exporting driver to create a dmabuf fd must provide a way to let + userspace control setting of O_CLOEXEC flag passed in to dma_buf_fd(). + +- If an exporter needs to manually flush caches and hence needs to fake + coherency for mmap support, it needs to be able to zap all the ptes pointing + at the backing storage. Now linux mm needs a struct address_space associated + with the struct file stored in vma->vm_file to do that with the function + unmap_mapping_range. But the dma_buf framework only backs every dma_buf fd + with the anon_file struct file, i.e. all dma_bufs share the same file. + + Hence exporters need to setup their own file (and address_space) association + by setting vma->vm_file and adjusting vma->vm_pgoff in the dma_buf mmap + callback. In the specific case of a gem driver the exporter could use the + shmem file already provided by gem (and set vm_pgoff = 0). Exporters can then + zap ptes by unmapping the corresponding range of the struct address_space + associated with their own file. + +References: +[1] struct dma_buf_ops in include/linux/dma-buf.h +[2] All interfaces mentioned above defined in include/linux/dma-buf.h +[3] https://lwn.net/Articles/236486/ |