Xen users - Jul 2011 - Need some clarifications regarding VT-d requirements for PCI passthrough in Xen 4.1

Hello,


I am looking into building a workstation using Xen to host several operating
systems.
Looking at the pci passthrough requirements of Xen4.1 on the
VTdHowTo<http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/VTdHowTo>page, I am a
little puzzled with the fact that only Intel Core2Duo (with
VT-x), Core2Quad, i7 and Core i5 (vPro Brand) CPU''s are supported while
motherboards with the i55x0 chipset are supported (for example the Supermicro
server mainboard:
X8DT3-F<http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/QPI/5500/X8DT3-F.cfm>
).

The irony in all this it that above this list of supported CPU''s and
motherboards is the statement "Note that in addition to the motherboard
chipset and BIOS also your CPU must have support for IOMMU IO virtualization
(VT-d)!".
It is ironic because the i55x0 chipset only supports Intel 5500 and 5600
Xeon CPU''s, which according to Intel, do NOT have VT-d support
integrated.
To my knowledge, Core i7 CPU''s can not be used (in a dual
configuration)
with i55x0 chipsets. In fact, if one looks at the specs of these 55x0
motherboards, one will only find support for 5500 and 5600 CPU''s.
Is it possible that the i55x0 series of chipsets is listed here because it
was used with a single i7 CPU?

I currently have the EVGA SR-2 motherboard (which is a dual Xeon 5500/5600
board with the i5520 chipset) on which I would like to build this multi OS
workstation.
So I would be very grateful if someone could confirm whether Xeon 5600
CPU''s
and 5520 chipsets will work with pci passthrough in Xen4.1.



Regards

Sandi


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On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 02:29:51PM +0200, Sandi Romih
wrote:
>    Hello,
>    I am looking into building a workstation using Xen to host several
>    operating systems.
>    Looking at the pci passthrough requirements of Xen4.1 on the [1]VTdHowTo
>    page, I am a little puzzled with the fact that only Intel Core2Duo (with
>    VT-x), Core2Quad, i7 and Core i5 (vPro Brand) CPU''s are
supported while
>    motherboards with the i55x0 chipset are supported (for example
>    the Supermicro server mainboard: [2]X8DT3-F).
>    The irony in all this it that above this list of supported
CPU''s and
>    motherboards is the statement "Note that in addition to the
motherboard
>    chipset and BIOS also your CPU must have support for IOMMU IO
>    virtualization (VT-d)!".
>    It is ironic because the i55x0 chipset only supports Intel 5500 and 5600
>    Xeon CPU''s, which according to Intel, do NOT have VT-d support
integrated.
>    To my knowledge, Core i7 CPU''s can not be used (in a dual
configuration)
>    with i55x0 chipsets. In fact, if one looks at the specs of these 55x0
>    motherboards, one will only find support for 5500 and 5600
CPU''s.
>    Is it possible that the i55x0 series of chipsets is listed here because
it
>    was used with a single i7 CPU?
>    I currently have the EVGA SR-2 motherboard (which is a dual Xeon
5500/5600
>    board with the i5520 chipset) on which I would like to build this multi
OS
>    workstation.
>    So I would be very grateful if someone could confirm whether Xeon 5600
>    CPU''s and 5520 chipsets will work with pci passthrough in
Xen4.1.
>    Regards
> 
afaik VT-d IOMMU is more of a chipset feature than CPU feature.. 
also VTdHowTo might be out-of-date. Feel free to update.

Anyway, I have some servers with VT-d IOMMU available with Xeon 5600 series
CPUs.

-- Pasi


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Pasi,

Thank you for that information. I will confirm whether the same applies to
my system and report back.
I might also modify the wiki as you suggested too...


Regards

Sandi





On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 11:45 PM, Pasi Kärkkäinen <pasik@iki.fi> wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 02:29:51PM +0200, Sandi Romih wrote:
> >    Hello,
> >    I am looking into building a workstation using Xen to host several
> >    operating systems.
> >    Looking at the pci passthrough requirements of Xen4.1 on the
> [1]VTdHowTo
> >    page, I am a little puzzled with the fact that only Intel Core2Duo
> (with
> >    VT-x), Core2Quad, i7 and Core i5 (vPro Brand) CPU''s are
supported
> while
> >    motherboards with the i55x0 chipset are supported (for example
> >    the Supermicro server mainboard: [2]X8DT3-F).
> >    The irony in all this it that above this list of supported
CPU''s and
> >    motherboards is the statement "Note that in addition to the
> motherboard
> >    chipset and BIOS also your CPU must have support for IOMMU IO
> >    virtualization (VT-d)!".
> >    It is ironic because the i55x0 chipset only supports Intel 5500 and
> 5600
> >    Xeon CPU''s, which according to Intel, do NOT have VT-d
support
> integrated.
> >    To my knowledge, Core i7 CPU''s can not be used (in a dual
> configuration)
> >    with i55x0 chipsets. In fact, if one looks at the specs of these
55x0
> >    motherboards, one will only find support for 5500 and 5600
CPU''s.
> >    Is it possible that the i55x0 series of chipsets is listed here
> because it
> >    was used with a single i7 CPU?
> >    I currently have the EVGA SR-2 motherboard (which is a dual Xeon
> 5500/5600
> >    board with the i5520 chipset) on which I would like to build this
> multi OS
> >    workstation.
> >    So I would be very grateful if someone could confirm whether Xeon
5600
> >    CPU''s and 5520 chipsets will work with pci passthrough in
Xen4.1.
> >    Regards
> >
>
> afaik VT-d IOMMU is more of a chipset feature than CPU feature..
> also VTdHowTo might be out-of-date. Feel free to update.
>
> Anyway, I have some servers with VT-d IOMMU available with Xeon 5600 series
> CPUs.
>
> -- Pasi
>
>

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