xref: /linux/Documentation/arch/arm64/mops.rst (revision cdd30ebb1b9f36159d66f088b61aee264e649d7a)
1.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
2
3===================================
4Memory copy/set instructions (MOPS)
5===================================
6
7A MOPS memory copy/set operation consists of three consecutive CPY* or SET*
8instructions: a prologue, main and epilogue (for example: CPYP, CPYM, CPYE).
9
10A main or epilogue instruction can take a MOPS exception for various reasons,
11for example when a task is migrated to a CPU with a different MOPS
12implementation, or when the instruction's alignment and size requirements are
13not met. The software exception handler is then expected to reset the registers
14and restart execution from the prologue instruction. Normally this is handled
15by the kernel.
16
17For more details refer to "D1.3.5.7 Memory Copy and Memory Set exceptions" in
18the Arm Architecture Reference Manual DDI 0487K.a (Arm ARM).
19
20.. _arm64_mops_hyp:
21
22Hypervisor requirements
23-----------------------
24
25A hypervisor running a Linux guest must handle all MOPS exceptions from the
26guest kernel, as Linux may not be able to handle the exception at all times.
27For example, a MOPS exception can be taken when the hypervisor migrates a vCPU
28to another physical CPU with a different MOPS implementation.
29
30To do this, the hypervisor must:
31
32  - Set HCRX_EL2.MCE2 to 1 so that the exception is taken to the hypervisor.
33
34  - Have an exception handler that implements the algorithm from the Arm ARM
35    rules CNTMJ and MWFQH.
36
37  - Set the guest's PSTATE.SS to 0 in the exception handler, to handle a
38    potential step of the current instruction.
39
40    Note: Clearing PSTATE.SS is needed so that a single step exception is taken
41    on the next instruction (the prologue instruction). Otherwise prologue
42    would get silently stepped over and the single step exception taken on the
43    main instruction. Note that if the guest instruction is not being stepped
44    then clearing PSTATE.SS has no effect.
45