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Re: [Xen-devel] x86-64 tools fix question

To: xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Xen-devel] x86-64 tools fix question
From: David Hopwood <david.nospam.hopwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 06:40:59 +0000
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Jerone Young wrote:
In the tools there is a declaration:

#if defined(__i386__)
#define rmb() __asm__ __volatile__ ( "lock; addl $0,0(%%esp)" : : :
"memory" )
#define wmb() __asm__ __volatile__ ( "" : : : "memory" )
#else
#error "Define barriers"
#endif

located in:
        xcs/xcs.h
        tools/python/xen/lowlevel/xu/xu.c
        
        I'm assuming this has a convenient side-effect that it prevents read
reordering. Otherwise I can't figure out why this is being done at all.
Now I'm guessing that that using rsp instead of esp since we are in
64bit mode will give the same effect needed.

#elif defined(__x86_64__)
#define rmb() __asm__ __volatile__ ( "lock; addl $0,0(%%rsp)" : : :
"memory" )
#define wmb() __asm__ __volatile__ ( "" : : : "memory" )

        I would like to discuss is this correct, dead wrong, or even needed at
all?

See volume 1, section 3.9.2 of the AMD64 architecture manual
(http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/DevelopWithAMD/0,,30_2252_875_7044,00.html),
quoted below for convenience.

This should be guaranteed to work:

#define rmb() __asm__ __volatile__ ( "mfence" : : : "memory" )
#define wmb() __asm__ __volatile__ ( "mfence" : : : "memory" )

but may be overkill. Are these macros used in any performance-critical
situations? If not then the overkill wouldn't matter.

# 3.9.2 Forcing Memory Order
#
# Special instructions are provided for application software to force
# memory ordering in situations where such ordering is important. These
# instructions are:
#  * Load Fence -- The LFENCE instruction forces ordering of
#    memory loads (reads). All memory loads preceding the
#    LFENCE (in program order) are completed prior to
#    completing memory loads following the LFENCE. Memory
#    loads cannot be reordered around an LFENCE instruction,
#    but other non-serializing instructions (such as memory
#    writes) can be reordered around the LFENCE.
#  * Store Fence -- The SFENCE instruction forces ordering of
#    memory stores (writes). All memory stores preceding the
#    SFENCE (in program order) are completed prior to
#    completing memory stores following the SFENCE. Memory
#    stores cannot be reordered around an SFENCE instruction,
#    but other non-serializing instructions (such as memory
#    loads) can be reordered around the SFENCE.
#  * Memory Fence -- The MFENCE instruction forces ordering of
#    all memory accesses (reads and writes). All memory accesses
#    preceding the MFENCE (in program order) are completed
#    prior to completing any memory access following the
#    MFENCE. Memory accesses cannot be reordered around an
#    MFENCE instruction, but other non-serializing instructions
#    that do not access memory can be reordered around the
#    MFENCE.

--
David Hopwood <david.nospam.hopwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



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