Re: [staging/dynamictables PATCH] Branch to implement Dynamic Tables Framework

[Leif Lindholm <leif.lindholm@linaro.org>]

Thanks Mike,

Sami - requested branches created and pushed to edk2-platforms and
edk2-staging.

Regards,

Leif

On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 10:36:24PM +0000, Kinney, Michael D wrote:
> Leif,
> 
> Please create the branch in edk2-staging.
> 
> Reviewed-by: Michael D Kinney <michael.d.kinney@intel.com>
> 
> Mike
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Leif Lindholm [mailto:leif.lindholm@linaro.org]
> > Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2018 12:31 PM
> > To: Sami Mujawar <sami.mujawar@arm.com>
> > Cc: edk2-devel@lists.01.org; evan.lloyd@arm.com;
> > Matteo.Carlini@arm.com; Stephanie.Hughes-Fitt@arm.com;
> > nd@arm.com; Andrew Fish <afish@apple.com>; Kinney,
> > Michael D <michael.d.kinney@intel.com>
> > Subject: Re: [staging/dynamictables PATCH] Branch to
> > implement Dynamic Tables Framework
> > 
> > On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 07:09:16PM +0000, Sami Mujawar
> > wrote:
> > > This patch introduces a branch for implementing
> > Dynamic Tables
> > > Framework. The description is in the Readme.md file.
> > >
> > > Please create a branch called 'dynamictables' in
> > edk2-staging.
> > >
> > > Contributed-under: TianoCore Contribution Agreement
> > 1.1
> > > Signed-off-by: Sami Mujawar <sami.mujawar@arm.com>
> > > Signed-off-by: Evan Lloyd <evan.lloyd@arm.com>
> > 
> > Reviewed-by: Leif Lindholm <leif.lindholm@linaro.org>
> > 
> > But, adding Andrew and Mike to cc.
> > If they have no comments, I can create this branch
> > tomorrow.
> > 
> > /
> >     Leif
> > 
> > > ---
> > >
> > > Apologies for sending the patch again. I had missed
> > the staging tag in the subject line.
> > >
> > >  Readme.md | 150 ++++++++++++++++++++
> > >  1 file changed, 150 insertions(+)
> > >
> > > diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
> > > new file mode 100644
> > > index
> > 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..652b0e3060f75
> > a2afe9506817d1745cd903b0cb2
> > > --- /dev/null
> > > +++ b/Readme.md
> > > @@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
> > > +This branch will be used to develop the Dynamic
> > Tables Framework.
> > > +
> > > +Dynamic Tables Framework
> > > +------------------------
> > > +
> > > +To reduce the amount of effort required in porting
> > firmware to new
> > > +platforms, we propose this "Dynamic Tables"
> > framework.  The aim is
> > > +to provide an example implementation capable of
> > generating the
> > > +firmware tables from an external source.  This is
> > potentially a
> > > +management node, either local or remote, or, where
> > suitable, a file
> > > +that might be generated from the system
> > construction.  This initial
> > > +"proof of concept" release does not fully implement
> > that - the
> > > +configuration is held in local UEFI modules.
> > > +
> > > +Branch Owners
> > > +-------------
> > > +   Evan Lloyd <evan.lloyd@arm.com> \
> > > +   Sami Mujawar <sami.mujawar@arm.com>
> > > +
> > > +Feature Summary
> > > +---------------
> > > +The dynamic tables framework is designed to generate
> > standardised
> > > +firmware tables that describe the hardware
> > information at
> > > +run-time. A goal of standardised firmware is to have
> > a common
> > > +firmware for a platform capable of booting both
> > Windows and Linux
> > > +operating systems.
> > > +
> > > +Traditionally the firmware tables are handcrafted
> > using ACPI
> > > +Source Language (ASL), Table Definition Language
> > (TDL) and
> > > +C-code. This approach can be error prone and
> > involves time
> > > +consuming debugging. In addition, it may be
> > desirable to configure
> > > +platform hardware at runtime such as: configuring
> > the number of
> > > +cores available for use by the OS, or turning SoC
> > features ON or
> > > +OFF.
> > > +
> > > +The dynamic tables framework simplifies this by
> > providing a set
> > > +of standard table generators, that are implemented
> > as libraries.
> > > +These generators query a platform specific
> > component, the
> > > +'Configuration Manager', to collate the information
> > required
> > > +for generating the tables at run-time.
> > > +
> > > +The framework also provides the ability to implement
> > custom/OEM
> > > +generators; thereby facilitating support for custom
> > tables. The
> > > +custom generators can also utilize the existing
> > standard generators
> > > +and override any functionality if needed.
> > > +
> > > +The framework currently implements a set of standard
> > ACPI table
> > > +generators for ARM architecture, that can generate
> > Server Base Boot
> > > +Requirement (SBBR) compliant tables. Although, the
> > set of standard
> > > +generators implement the functionality required for
> > ARM architecture;
> > > +the framework is extensible, and support for other
> > architectures can
> > > +be added easily.
> > > +
> > > +The framework currently supports the following table
> > generators for ARM:
> > > +* DBG2 - Debug Port Table 2
> > > +* DSDT - Differentiated system description table.
> > This is essentially
> > > +         a RAW table generator.
> > > +* FADT - Fixed ACPI Description Table
> > > +* GTDT - Generic Timer Description Table
> > > +* IORT - IO Remapping Table
> > > +* MADT - Multiple APIC Description Table
> > > +* MCFG - PCI Express memory mapped configuration
> > space base address
> > > +         Description Table
> > > +* SPCR - Serial Port Console Redirection Table
> > > +* SSDT - Secondary System Description Table. This is
> > essentially
> > > +         a RAW table generator.
> > > +
> > > +Roadmap
> > > +-------
> > > +The current implementation of the Configuration
> > Manager populates the
> > > +platform information statically as a C structure.
> > Further enhancements
> > > +to introduce runtime loading of platform information
> > from a platform
> > > +information file is planned.
> > > +
> > > +Also support for generating SMBIOS tables is planned
> > and will be added
> > > +subsequently.
> > > +
> > > +Related Modules
> > > +---------------
> > > +
> > > +### edk2-platforms
> > > +The *devel-dynamictables* branch in the **edk2-
> > platform** repository contains
> > > +the Configuration Manager implementation (the
> > platform specific component)
> > > +for Juno and Fixed Virtual Platform models.
> > > +
> > > +### ACPICA iASL compiler
> > > +The RAW table generator, used to process the
> > DSDT/SSDT files depends on
> > > +the iASL compiler to convert the DSDT/SSDT ASL files
> > to a C array containing
> > > +the hex AML code. The current implementation of the
> > iASL compiler does not
> > > +support generation of a C header file suitable for
> > including from a C source
> > > +file.
> > > +
> > > +Related Links
> > > +--------------
> > > +
> > > +<https://github.com/tianocore/edk2-platforms.git>
> > > +
> > > +<https://github.com/acpica/acpica.git>
> > > +
> > > +Supported Platforms
> > > +-------------------
> > > +1. Juno
> > > +2. FVP Models
> > > +
> > > +Build Instructions
> > > +------------------
> > > +1. Set path for the iASL compiler with support for
> > generating a C header
> > > +   file as output.
> > > +
> > > +2. Set PACKAGES_PATH to point to the locations of
> > the following repositories:
> > > +
> > > +Example:
> > > +
> > > +> set PACKAGES_PATH=%CD%\edk2;%CD%\edk2-
> > platforms;%CD%\edk2-non-osi
> > > +
> > > +  or
> > > +
> > > +> export PACKAGES_PATH=$PWD/edk2:$PWD/edk2-
> > platforms:$PWD/edk2-non-osi
> > > +
> > > +3. To enable Dynamic tables framework the
> > *'DYNAMIC_TABLES_FRAMEWORK'*
> > > +option must be defined. This can be passed as a
> > command line
> > > +parameter to the edk2 build system.
> > > +
> > > +Example:
> > > +
> > > +>build -a AARCH64 -p
> > Platform\ARM\JunoPkg\ArmJuno.dsc
> > > +   -t GCC5 **-D DYNAMIC_TABLES_FRAMEWORK**
> > > +
> > > +or
> > > +
> > > +>build -a AARCH64 -p
> > Platform\ARM\VExpressPkg\ArmVExpress-FVP-AArch64.dsc
> > > +   -t GCC5 **-D DYNAMIC_TABLES_FRAMEWORK**
> > > +
> > > +
> > > +Prerequisites
> > > +-------------
> > > +ACPICA iASL compiler with support for generating a C
> > header file.
> > > +
> > > +A patch ***'Modify hex AML C header file
> > generation'***, to enable
> > > +this support has been submitted to the ACPICA source
> > repository.
> > > +<https://lists.acpica.org/pipermail/devel/2018-
> > March/001755.html>
> > > +
> > > +Documentation
> > > +-------------
> > > +A description document is in preparation, and should
> > be available in the
> > > +near future.
> > > +
> > > +Miscellaneous
> > > +-------------
> > > +
> > > --
> > > 'Guid(CE165669-3EF3-493F-B85D-6190EE5B9759)'
> > >
> > >
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