xref: /openbmc/qemu/docs/system/s390x/css.rst (revision 34cc54fb)
1The virtual channel subsystem
2=============================
3
4QEMU implements a virtual channel subsystem with subchannels, (mostly
5functionless) channel paths, and channel devices (virtio-ccw, 3270, and
6devices passed via vfio-ccw). It supports multiple subchannel sets (MSS) and
7multiple channel subsystems extended (MCSS-E).
8
9All channel devices support the ``devno`` property, which takes a parameter
10in the form ``<cssid>.<ssid>.<device number>``.
11
12The default channel subsystem image id (``<cssid>``) is ``0xfe``. Devices in
13there will show up in channel subsystem image ``0`` to guests that do not
14enable MCSS-E. Note that devices with a different cssid will not be visible
15if the guest OS does not enable MCSS-E (which is true for all supported guest
16operating systems today).
17
18Supported values for the subchannel set id (``<ssid>``) range from ``0-3``.
19Devices with a ssid that is not ``0`` will not be visible if the guest OS
20does not enable MSS (any Linux version that supports virtio also enables MSS).
21Any device may be put into any subchannel set, there is no restriction by
22device type.
23
24The device number can range from ``0-0xffff``.
25
26If the ``devno`` property is not specified for a device, QEMU will choose the
27next free device number in subchannel set 0, skipping to the next subchannel
28set if no more device numbers are free.
29
30QEMU places a device at the first free subchannel in the specified subchannel
31set. If a device is hotunplugged and later replugged, it may appear at a
32different subchannel. (This is similar to how z/VM works.)
33
34
35Examples
36--------
37
38* a virtio-net device, cssid/ssid/devno automatically assigned::
39
40    -device virtio-net-ccw
41
42  In a Linux guest (without default devices and no other devices specified
43  prior to this one), this will show up as ``0.0.0000`` under subchannel
44  ``0.0.0000``.
45
46  The auto-assigned-properties in QEMU (as seen via e.g. ``info qtree``)
47  would be ``dev_id = "fe.0.0000"`` and ``subch_id = "fe.0.0000"``.
48
49* a virtio-rng device in subchannel set ``0``::
50
51    -device virtio-rng-ccw,devno=fe.0.0042
52
53  If added to the same Linux guest as above, it would show up as ``0.0.0042``
54  under subchannel ``0.0.0001``.
55
56  The properties for the device would be ``dev_id = "fe.0.0042"`` and
57  ``subch_id = "fe.0.0001"``.
58
59* a virtio-gpu device in subchannel set ``2``::
60
61    -device virtio-gpu-ccw,devno=fe.2.1111
62
63  If added to the same Linux guest as above, it would show up as ``0.2.1111``
64  under subchannel ``0.2.0000``.
65
66  The properties for the device would be ``dev_id = "fe.2.1111"`` and
67  ``subch_id = "fe.2.0000"``.
68
69* a virtio-mouse device in a non-standard channel subsystem image::
70
71    -device virtio-mouse-ccw,devno=2.0.2222
72
73  This would not show up in a standard Linux guest.
74
75  The properties for the device would be ``dev_id = "2.0.2222"`` and
76  ``subch_id = "2.0.0000"``.
77
78* a virtio-keyboard device in another non-standard channel subsystem image::
79
80    -device virtio-keyboard-ccw,devno=0.0.1234
81
82  This would not show up in a standard Linux guest, either, as ``0`` is not
83  the standard channel subsystem image id.
84
85  The properties for the device would be ``dev_id = "0.0.1234"`` and
86  ``subch_id = "0.0.0000"``.
87