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    Subject[RFC v2 2/2] dma-buf: Documentation for buffer sharing framework
    Date
    Add documentation for dma buffer sharing framework, explaining the
    various operations, members and API of the dma buffer sharing
    framework.

    Signed-off-by: Sumit Semwal <sumit.semwal@linaro.org>
    Signed-off-by: Sumit Semwal <sumit.semwal@ti.com>
    ---
    Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt | 223 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    1 files changed, 223 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
    create mode 100644 Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt

    diff --git a/Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt b/Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt
    new file mode 100644
    index 0000000..2c1bdf6
    --- /dev/null
    +++ b/Documentation/dma-buf-sharing.txt
    @@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
    + DMA Buffer Sharing API Guide
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    +
    + Sumit Semwal
    + <sumit dot semwal at linaro dot org>
    + <sumit dot semwal at ti dot com>
    +
    +This document serves as a guide to device-driver writers on what is the dma-buf
    +buffer sharing API, how to use it for exporting and using shared buffers.
    +
    +Any device driver which wishes to be a part of DMA buffer sharing, can do so as
    +either the 'exporter' of buffers, or the 'user' of buffers.
    +
    +Say a driver A wants to use buffers created by driver B, then we call B as the
    +exporter, and A as buffer-user.
    +
    +The exporter
    +- implements and manages operations[1] for the buffer
    +- allows other users to share the buffer by using dma_buf sharing APIs,
    +- manages the details of buffer allocation,
    +- decides about the actual backing storage where this allocation happens,
    +- takes care of any migration of scatterlist - for all (shared) users of this
    + buffer,
    +- optionally, provides mmap capability for drivers that need it.
    +
    +The buffer-user
    +- is one of (many) sharing users of the buffer.
    +- doesn't need to worry about how the buffer is allocated, or where.
    +- needs a mechanism to get access to the scatterlist that makes up this buffer
    + in memory, mapped into its own address space, so it can access the same area
    + of memory.
    +
    +
    +The dma_buf buffer sharing API usage contains the following steps:
    +
    +1. Exporter announces that it wishes to export a buffer
    +2. Userspace gets the file descriptor associated with the exported buffer, and
    + passes it around to potential buffer-users based on use case
    +3. Each buffer-user 'connects' itself to the buffer
    +4. When needed, buffer-user requests access to the buffer from exporter
    +5. When finished with its use, the buffer-user notifies end-of-DMA to exporter
    +6. when buffer-user is done using this buffer completely, it 'disconnects'
    + itself from the buffer.
    +
    +
    +1. Exporter's announcement of buffer export
    +
    + The buffer exporter announces its wish to export a buffer. In this, it
    + connects its own private buffer data, provides implementation for operations
    + that can be performed on the exported dma_buf, and flags for the file
    + associated with this buffer.
    +
    + Interface:
    + struct dma_buf *dma_buf_export(void *priv, struct dma_buf_ops *ops,
    + int flags)
    +
    + If this succeeds, dma_buf_export allocates a dma_buf structure, and returns a
    + pointer to the same. It also associates an anonymous file with this buffer,
    + so it can be exported. On failure to allocate the dma_buf object, it returns
    + NULL.
    +
    +2. Userspace gets a handle to pass around to potential buffer-users
    +
    + Userspace entity requests for a file-descriptor (fd) which is a handle to the
    + anonymous file associated with the buffer. It can then share the fd with other
    + drivers and/or processes.
    +
    + Interface:
    + int dma_buf_fd(struct dma_buf *dmabuf)
    +
    + This API installs an fd for the anonymous file associated with this buffer;
    + returns either 'fd', or error.
    +
    +3. Each buffer-user 'connects' itself to the buffer
    +
    + Each buffer-user now gets a reference to the buffer, using the fd passed to
    + it.
    +
    + Interface:
    + struct dma_buf *dma_buf_get(int fd)
    +
    + This API will return a reference to the dma_buf, and increment refcount for
    + it.
    +
    + After this, the buffer-user needs to attach its device with the buffer, which
    + helps the exporter to know of device buffer constraints.
    +
    + Interface:
    + struct dma_buf_attachment *dma_buf_attach(struct dma_buf *dmabuf,
    + struct device *dev)
    +
    + This API returns reference to an attachment structure, which is then used
    + for scatterlist operations. It will optionally call the 'attach' dma_buf
    + operation, if provided by the exporter.
    +
    + The dma-buf sharing framework does the bookkeeping bits related to managing
    + the list of all attachments to a buffer.
    +
    +Until this stage, the buffer-exporter has the option to choose not to actually
    +allocate the backing storage for this buffer, but wait for the first buffer-user
    +to request use of buffer for allocation.
    +
    +
    +4. When needed, buffer-user requests access to the buffer
    +
    + Whenever a buffer-user wants to use the buffer for any DMA, it asks for
    + access to the buffer using dma_buf_map_attachment API. At least one attach to
    + the buffer must have happened before map_dma_buf can be called.
    +
    + Interface:
    + struct sg_table * dma_buf_map_attachment(struct dma_buf_attachment *,
    + enum dma_data_direction);
    +
    + This is a wrapper to dma_buf->ops->map_dma_buf operation, which hides the
    + "dma_buf->ops->" indirection from the users of this interface.
    +
    + In struct dma_buf_ops, map_dma_buf is defined as
    + struct sg_table * (*map_dma_buf)(struct dma_buf_attachment *,
    + enum dma_data_direction);
    +
    + It is one of the buffer operations that must be implemented by the exporter.
    + It should return the sg_table containing scatterlist for this buffer, mapped
    + into caller's address space.
    +
    + If this is being called for the first time, the exporter can now choose to
    + scan through the list of attachments for this buffer, collate the requirements
    + of the attached devices, and choose an appropriate backing storage for the
    + buffer.
    +
    + Based on enum dma_data_direction, it might be possible to have multiple users
    + accessing at the same time (for reading, maybe), or any other kind of sharing
    + that the exporter might wish to make available to buffer-users.
    +
    +
    +5. When finished, the buffer-user notifies end-of-DMA to exporter
    +
    + Once the DMA for the current buffer-user is over, it signals 'end-of-DMA' to
    + the exporter using the dma_buf_unmap_attachment API.
    +
    + Interface:
    + void dma_buf_unmap_attachment(struct dma_buf_attachment *,
    + struct sg_table *);
    +
    + This is a wrapper to dma_buf->ops->unmap_dma_buf() operation, which hides the
    + "dma_buf->ops->" indirection from the users of this interface.
    +
    + In struct dma_buf_ops, unmap_dma_buf is defined as
    + void (*unmap_dma_buf)(struct dma_buf_attachment *, struct sg_table *);
    +
    + unmap_dma_buf signifies the end-of-DMA for the attachment provided. Like
    + map_dma_buf, this API also must be implemented by the exporter.
    +
    +
    +6. when buffer-user is done using this buffer, it 'disconnects' itself from the
    + buffer.
    +
    + After the buffer-user has no more interest in using this buffer, it should
    + disconnect itself from the buffer:
    +
    + - it first detaches itself from the buffer.
    +
    + Interface:
    + void dma_buf_detach(struct dma_buf *dmabuf,
    + struct dma_buf_attachment *dmabuf_attach);
    +
    + This API removes the attachment from the list in dmabuf, and optionally calls
    + dma_buf->ops->detach(), if provided by exporter, for any housekeeping bits.
    +
    + - Then, the buffer-user returns the buffer reference to exporter.
    +
    + Interface:
    + void dma_buf_put(struct dma_buf *dmabuf);
    +
    + This API then reduces the refcount for this buffer.
    +
    + If, as a result of this call, the refcount becomes 0, the 'release' file
    + operation related to this fd is called. It calls the dmabuf->ops->release()
    + operation in turn, and frees the memory allocated for dmabuf when exported.
    +
    +NOTES:
    +- Importance of attach-detach and {map,unmap}_dma_buf operation pairs
    + The attach-detach calls allow the exporter to figure out backing-storage
    + constraints for the currently-interested devices. This allows preferential
    + allocation, and/or migration of pages across different types of storage
    + available, if possible.
    +
    + Bracketing of DMA access with {map,unmap}_dma_buf operations is essential
    + to allow just-in-time backing of storage, and migration mid-way through a
    + use-case.
    +
    +- Migration of backing storage if needed
    + If after
    + - at least one map_dma_buf has happened,
    + - and the backing storage has been allocated for this buffer,
    + another new buffer-user intends to attach itself to this buffer, it might
    + be allowed, if possible for the exporter.
    +
    + In case it is allowed by the exporter:
    + if the new buffer-user has stricter 'backing-storage constraints', and the
    + exporter can handle these constraints, the exporter can just stall on the
    + map_dma_buf until all outstanding access is completed (as signalled by
    + unmap_dma_buf).
    + Once all ongoing access is completed, the exporter could potentially move
    + the buffer to the stricter backing-storage, and then allow further
    + {map,unmap}_dma_buf operations from any buffer-user from the migrated
    + backing-storage.
    +
    + If the exporter cannot fulfil the backing-storage constraints of the new
    + buffer-user device as requested, dma_buf_attach() would return an error to
    + denote non-compatibility of the new buffer-sharing request with the current
    + buffer.
    +
    + If the exporter chooses not to allow an attach() operation once a
    + map_dma_buf() API has been called, it simply returns an error.
    +
    +- mmap file operation
    + An mmap() file operation is provided for the fd associated with the buffer.
    + If the exporter defines an mmap operation, the mmap() fop calls this to allow
    + mmap for devices that might need it; if not, it returns an error.
    +
    +References:
    +[1] struct dma_buf_ops in include/linux/dma-buf.h
    +[2] All interfaces mentioned above defined in include/linux/dma-buf.h
    --
    1.7.4.1


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