Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 1/3] PCI: Add pci_ats_required() for CXL.cache capable devices

From: Bjorn Helgaas <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 May 2026 15:03:27 -0500

On Wed, May 20, 2026 at 12:46:08PM -0700, Nicolin Chen wrote:
> Controlled by the IOMMU driver, ATS is usually enabled "on demand" when a
> given PASID on a device is attached to an I/O page table. This is working
> even when a device has no translation on its RID (i.e., the RID is IOMMU
> bypassed).
> 
> However, certain PCIe devices require non-PASID ATS on their RID even when
> the RID is IOMMU bypassed. Call this "ATS always on" in IOMMU term.
> 
> For example, CXL spec r4.0 notes in sec 3.2.5.13 Memory Type on CXL.cache:
>  "To source requests on CXL.cache, devices need to get the Host Physical
>   Address (HPA) from the Host by means of an ATS request on CXL.io."
> 
> In other words, the CXL.cache capability requires ATS; otherwise, it can't
> access host physical memory.
> 
> Introduce a new pci_ats_required() helper for the IOMMU driver to scan a
> PCI device and shift ATS policies between "on demand" and "always on".
> 
> Add the support for CXL.cache devices first. Pre-CXL devices will be added
> in quirks.c file.
> 
> Note that pci_ats_required() validates against pci_ats_supported(), so we
> ensure that untrusted devices (e.g. external ports) will not be always on.
> This maintains the existing ATS security policy regarding potential side-
> channel attacks via ATS.
> 
> Cc: [email-masked]
> Suggested-by: Vikram Sethi <[email-masked]>
> Suggested-by: Jason Gunthorpe <[email-masked]>
> Reviewed-by: Jonathan Cameron <[email-masked]>
> Reviewed-by: Jason Gunthorpe <[email-masked]>
> Reviewed-by: Kevin Tian <[email-masked]>
> Tested-by: Nirmoy Das <[email-masked]>
> Acked-by: Nirmoy Das <[email-masked]>
> Reviewed-by: Dave Jiang <[email-masked]>
> Signed-off-by: Nicolin Chen <[email-masked]>

Acked-by: Bjorn Helgaas <[email-masked]>

One lingering question below that I asked before but I don't think
anybody answered.

> ---
>  include/linux/pci-ats.h       |  3 +++
>  include/uapi/linux/pci_regs.h |  1 +
>  drivers/pci/ats.c             | 46 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  3 files changed, 50 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/include/linux/pci-ats.h b/include/linux/pci-ats.h
> index 75c6c86cf09dc..f3723b6861294 100644
> --- a/include/linux/pci-ats.h
> +++ b/include/linux/pci-ats.h
> @@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ int pci_prepare_ats(struct pci_dev *dev, int ps);
>  void pci_disable_ats(struct pci_dev *dev);
>  int pci_ats_queue_depth(struct pci_dev *dev);
>  int pci_ats_page_aligned(struct pci_dev *dev);
> +bool pci_ats_required(struct pci_dev *dev);
>  #else /* CONFIG_PCI_ATS */
>  static inline bool pci_ats_supported(struct pci_dev *d)
>  { return false; }
> @@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ static inline int pci_ats_queue_depth(struct pci_dev *d)
>  { return -ENODEV; }
>  static inline int pci_ats_page_aligned(struct pci_dev *dev)
>  { return 0; }
> +static inline bool pci_ats_required(struct pci_dev *dev)
> +{ return false; }
>  #endif /* CONFIG_PCI_ATS */
>  
>  #ifdef CONFIG_PCI_PRI
> diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/pci_regs.h b/include/uapi/linux/pci_regs.h
> index 14f634ab9350d..6ac45be1008b8 100644
> --- a/include/uapi/linux/pci_regs.h
> +++ b/include/uapi/linux/pci_regs.h
> @@ -1349,6 +1349,7 @@
>  /* CXL r4.0, 8.1.3: PCIe DVSEC for CXL Device */
>  #define PCI_DVSEC_CXL_DEVICE				0
>  #define  PCI_DVSEC_CXL_CAP				0xA
> +#define   PCI_DVSEC_CXL_CACHE_CAPABLE			_BITUL(0)
>  #define   PCI_DVSEC_CXL_MEM_CAPABLE			_BITUL(2)
>  #define   PCI_DVSEC_CXL_HDM_COUNT			__GENMASK(5, 4)
>  #define  PCI_DVSEC_CXL_CTRL				0xC
> diff --git a/drivers/pci/ats.c b/drivers/pci/ats.c
> index ec6c8dbdc5e9c..ebdf761843867 100644
> --- a/drivers/pci/ats.c
> +++ b/drivers/pci/ats.c
> @@ -205,6 +205,52 @@ int pci_ats_page_aligned(struct pci_dev *pdev)
>  	return 0;
>  }
>  
> +/*
> + * CXL r4.0, sec 3.2.5.13 Memory Type on CXL.cache notes: to source requests on
> + * CXL.cache, devices need to get the Host Physical Address (HPA) from the Host
> + * by means of an ATS request on CXL.io.
> + *
> + * In other words, CXL.cache devices cannot access host physical memory without
> + * ATS.
> + *
> + * Check Cache_Capable instead of Cache_Enable because CXL.cache may be enabled
> + * after the caller uses this to make its ATS decision.
> + */
> +static bool pci_cxl_ats_required(struct pci_dev *pdev)
> +{
> +	int offset;
> +	u16 cap;
> +
> +	offset = pci_find_dvsec_capability(pdev, PCI_VENDOR_ID_CXL,
> +					   PCI_DVSEC_CXL_DEVICE);
> +	if (!offset)
> +		return false;
> +
> +	if (pci_read_config_word(pdev, offset + PCI_DVSEC_CXL_CAP, &cap))
> +		return false;
> +
> +	return cap & PCI_DVSEC_CXL_CACHE_CAPABLE;
> +}
> +
> +/**
> + * pci_ats_required - Whether the PCI device requires ATS
> + * @pdev: the PCI device
> + *
> + * Returns true, if the PCI device requires ATS for basic functional operation.
> + */
> +bool pci_ats_required(struct pci_dev *pdev)
> +{
> +	if (pci_ats_disabled() || !pci_ats_supported(pdev))
> +		return false;

I still have the question about whether it's necessary to test
pci_ats_disabled() here.  I think pci_ats_supported() should return
false if pci_ats_disabled() returns true.

> +	/* A VF inherits its PF's requirement for ATS function */
> +	if (pdev->is_virtfn)
> +		pdev = pci_physfn(pdev);
> +
> +	return pci_cxl_ats_required(pdev);
> +}
> +EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pci_ats_required);
> +
>  #ifdef CONFIG_PCI_PRI
>  void pci_pri_init(struct pci_dev *pdev)
>  {
> -- 
> 2.43.0
>