[PATCH 0/2] PCI/AER: Consistently use _OSC to determine who owns AER

[Alex G.]

On 11/20/2018 04:28 PM, Sinan Kaya wrote:
> On 11/20/2018 4:42 PM, Keith Busch wrote:
>> How does that work? If the OS takes control, it sets up MSIs that FW 
>> don't
>> react to, and disables system errors through PCIe Root Control. Aren't
>> those sys errs the mechanism FW knows it has something to do, which
>> means the OS can effectively fence it off?
> 
> I think this is all implementation detail and doesn't necessarily apply
> to all firmware-first implementation flavors.
> 
> Assumptions are:
> 1. both FW and OS are listening to MSI interrupts

On hax86, I'm not sure FW can listen to MSI interrups. FW only exists in 
SMM, not ring 1-4.

> 2. FW monitors the system errors
> 
> Some FF implementation could route the AER interrupt to a higher privilege
> level. Some other implementation could use INTx or a side-band channel 
> interrupt
> for firmware-interrupt too.
> 
> I have seen all 3 except MSI :) and also firmware never monitored the 
> system
> error bits. I was curious if anybody ever used those legacy bits. Now, I 
> know
> someone is using it.