path: root/docs/devel/migration/CPR.rst

CheckPoint and Restart (CPR)
============================

CPR is the umbrella name for a set of migration modes in which the
VM is migrated to a new QEMU instance on the same host.  It is
intended for use when the goal is to update host software components
that run the VM, such as QEMU or even the host kernel.  At this time,
the cpr-reboot, cpr-transfer, and cpr-exec modes are available.

Because QEMU is restarted on the same host, with access to the same
local devices, CPR is allowed in certain cases where normal migration
would be blocked.  However, the user must not modify the contents of
guest block devices between quitting old QEMU and starting new QEMU.

CPR unconditionally stops VM execution before memory is saved, and
thus does not depend on any form of dirty page tracking.

cpr-reboot mode
---------------

In this mode, QEMU stops the VM, and writes VM state to the migration
URI, which will typically be a file.  After quitting QEMU, the user
resumes by running QEMU with the ``-incoming`` option.  Because the
old and new QEMU instances are not active concurrently, the URI cannot
be a type that streams data from one instance to the other.

Guest RAM can be saved in place if backed by shared memory, or can be
copied to a file.  The former is more efficient and is therefore
preferred.

After state and memory are saved, the user may update userland host
software before restarting QEMU and resuming the VM.  Further, if
the RAM is backed by persistent shared memory, such as a DAX device,
then the user may reboot to a new host kernel before restarting QEMU.

This mode supports VFIO devices provided the user first puts the
guest in the suspended runstate, such as by issuing the
``guest-suspend-ram`` command to the QEMU guest agent.  The agent
must be pre-installed in the guest, and the guest must support
suspend to RAM.  Beware that suspension can take a few seconds, so
the user should poll to see the suspended state before proceeding
with the CPR operation.

Usage
^^^^^

It is recommended that guest RAM be backed with some type of shared
memory, such as ``memory-backend-file,share=on``, and that the
``x-ignore-shared`` capability be set.  This combination allows memory
to be saved in place.  Otherwise, after QEMU stops the VM, all guest
RAM is copied to the migration URI.

Outgoing:
  * Set the migration mode parameter to ``cpr-reboot``.
  * Set the ``x-ignore-shared`` capability if desired.
  * Issue the ``migrate`` command.  It is recommended the URI be a
    ``file`` type, but one can use other types such as ``exec``,
    provided the command captures all the data from the outgoing side,
    and provides all the data to the incoming side.
  * Quit when QEMU reaches the postmigrate state.

Incoming:
  * Start QEMU with the ``-incoming defer`` option.
  * Set the migration mode parameter to ``cpr-reboot``.
  * Set the ``x-ignore-shared`` capability if desired.
  * Issue the ``migrate-incoming`` command.
  * If the VM was running when the outgoing ``migrate`` command was
    issued, then QEMU automatically resumes VM execution.

Example 1
^^^^^^^^^
::

  # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
  -object memory-backend-file,id=ram0,size=4G,mem-path=/dev/dax0.0,align=2M,share=on -m 4G
  ...

  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter mode cpr-reboot
  (qemu) migrate_set_capability x-ignore-shared on
  (qemu) migrate -d file:vm.state
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: paused (postmigrate)
  (qemu) quit

  ### optionally update kernel and reboot
  # systemctl kexec
  kexec_core: Starting new kernel
  ...

  # qemu-kvm ... -incoming defer
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: paused (inmigrate)
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter mode cpr-reboot
  (qemu) migrate_set_capability x-ignore-shared on
  (qemu) migrate_incoming file:vm.state
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running

Example 2: VFIO
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
::

  # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
  -object memory-backend-file,id=ram0,size=4G,mem-path=/dev/dax0.0,align=2M,share=on -m 4G
  -device vfio-pci, ...
  -chardev socket,id=qga0,path=qga.sock,server=on,wait=off
  -device virtserialport,chardev=qga0,name=org.qemu.guest_agent.0
  ...

  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running

  # echo '{"execute":"guest-suspend-ram"}' | ncat --send-only -U qga.sock

  (qemu) info status
  VM status: paused (suspended)
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter mode cpr-reboot
  (qemu) migrate_set_capability x-ignore-shared on
  (qemu) migrate -d file:vm.state
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: paused (postmigrate)
  (qemu) quit

  ### optionally update kernel and reboot
  # systemctl kexec
  kexec_core: Starting new kernel
  ...

  # qemu-kvm ... -incoming defer
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: paused (inmigrate)
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter mode cpr-reboot
  (qemu) migrate_set_capability x-ignore-shared on
  (qemu) migrate_incoming file:vm.state
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: paused (suspended)
  (qemu) system_wakeup
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running

Caveats
^^^^^^^

cpr-reboot mode may not be used with postcopy, background-snapshot,
or COLO.

cpr-transfer mode
-----------------

This mode allows the user to transfer a guest to a new QEMU instance
on the same host with minimal guest pause time, by preserving guest
RAM in place, albeit with new virtual addresses in new QEMU.  Devices
and their pinned memory pages are also preserved for VFIO and IOMMUFD.

The user starts new QEMU on the same host as old QEMU, with command-
line arguments to create the same machine, plus the ``-incoming``
option for the main migration channel, like normal live migration.
In addition, the user adds a second -incoming option with channel
type ``cpr``.  This CPR channel must support file descriptor transfer
with SCM_RIGHTS, i.e. it must be a UNIX domain socket.

To initiate CPR, the user issues a migrate command to old QEMU,
adding a second migration channel of type ``cpr`` in the channels
argument.  Old QEMU stops the VM, saves state to the migration
channels, and enters the postmigrate state.  Execution resumes in
new QEMU.

New QEMU reads the CPR channel before opening a monitor, hence
the CPR channel cannot be specified in the list of channels for a
migrate-incoming command.  It may only be specified on the command
line.

Usage
^^^^^

Memory backend objects must have the ``share=on`` attribute.

The VM must be started with the ``-machine aux-ram-share=on``
option.  This causes implicit RAM blocks (those not described by
a memory-backend object) to be allocated by mmap'ing a memfd.
Examples include VGA and ROM.

Outgoing:
  * Set the migration mode parameter to ``cpr-transfer``.
  * Issue the ``migrate`` command, containing a main channel and
    a cpr channel.

Incoming:
  * Start new QEMU with two ``-incoming`` options.
  * If the VM was running when the outgoing ``migrate`` command was
    issued, then QEMU automatically resumes VM execution.

Caveats
^^^^^^^

cpr-transfer mode may not be used with postcopy, background-snapshot,
or COLO.

memory-backend-epc is not supported.

The main incoming migration channel address cannot be a file type.

If the main incoming channel address is an inet socket, then the port
cannot be 0 (meaning dynamically choose a port).

When using ``-incoming defer``, you must issue the migrate command to
old QEMU before issuing any monitor commands to new QEMU, because new
QEMU blocks waiting to read from the cpr channel before starting its
monitor, and old QEMU does not write to the channel until the migrate
command is issued.  However, new QEMU does not open and read the
main migration channel until you issue the migrate incoming command.

Example 1: incoming channel
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In these examples, we simply restart the same version of QEMU, but
in a real scenario one would start new QEMU on the incoming side.
Note that new QEMU does not print the monitor prompt until old QEMU
has issued the migrate command.  The outgoing side uses QMP because
HMP cannot specify a CPR channel.  Some QMP responses are omitted for
brevity.

::

  Outgoing:                             Incoming:

  # qemu-kvm -qmp stdio
  -object memory-backend-file,id=ram0,size=4G,
  mem-path=/dev/shm/ram0,share=on -m 4G
  -machine memory-backend=ram0
  -machine aux-ram-share=on
  ...
                                        # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
                                        -incoming tcp:0:44444
                                        -incoming '{"channel-type": "cpr",
                                          "addr": { "transport": "socket",
                                          "type": "unix", "path": "cpr.sock"}}'
                                        ...
  {"execute":"qmp_capabilities"}

  {"execute": "query-status"}
  {"return": {"status": "running",
              "running": true}}

  {"execute":"migrate-set-parameters",
   "arguments":{"mode":"cpr-transfer"}}

  {"execute": "migrate", "arguments": { "channels": [
    {"channel-type": "main",
     "addr": { "transport": "socket", "type": "inet",
               "host": "0", "port": "44444" }},
    {"channel-type": "cpr",
     "addr": { "transport": "socket", "type": "unix",
               "path": "cpr.sock" }}]}}

                                        QEMU 10.0.50 monitor
                                        (qemu) info status
                                        VM status: running

  {"execute": "query-status"}
  {"return": {"status": "postmigrate",
              "running": false}}

Example 2: incoming defer
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This example uses ``-incoming defer`` to hot plug a device before
accepting the main migration channel.  Again note you must issue the
migrate command to old QEMU before you can issue any monitor
commands to new QEMU.


::

  Outgoing:                             Incoming:

  # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
  -object memory-backend-file,id=ram0,size=4G,
  mem-path=/dev/shm/ram0,share=on -m 4G
  -machine memory-backend=ram0
  -machine aux-ram-share=on
  ...
                                        # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
                                        -incoming defer
                                        -incoming '{"channel-type": "cpr",
                                          "addr": { "transport": "socket",
                                          "type": "unix", "path": "cpr.sock"}}'
                                        ...
  {"execute":"qmp_capabilities"}

  {"execute": "device_add",
   "arguments": {"driver": "pcie-root-port"}}

  {"execute":"migrate-set-parameters",
   "arguments":{"mode":"cpr-transfer"}}

  {"execute": "migrate", "arguments": { "channels": [
    {"channel-type": "main",
     "addr": { "transport": "socket", "type": "inet",
               "host": "0", "port": "44444" }},
    {"channel-type": "cpr",
     "addr": { "transport": "socket", "type": "unix",
               "path": "cpr.sock" }}]}}

                                        QEMU 10.0.50 monitor
                                        (qemu) info status
                                        VM status: paused (inmigrate)
                                        (qemu) device_add pcie-root-port
                                        (qemu) migrate_incoming tcp:0:44444
                                        (qemu) info status
                                        VM status: running

  {"execute": "query-status"}
  {"return": {"status": "postmigrate",
              "running": false}}

Futures
^^^^^^^

cpr-transfer mode is based on a capability to transfer open file
descriptors from old to new QEMU.  In the future, descriptors for
vhost, and char devices could be transferred,
preserving those devices and their kernel state without interruption,
even if they do not explicitly support live migration.

cpr-exec mode
-------------

In this mode, QEMU stops the VM, writes VM state to the migration
URI, and directly exec's a new version of QEMU on the same host,
replacing the original process while retaining its PID.  Guest RAM is
preserved in place, albeit with new virtual addresses.  The user
completes the migration by specifying the ``-incoming`` option, and
by issuing the ``migrate-incoming`` command if necessary; see details
below.

This mode supports VFIO/IOMMUFD devices by preserving device
descriptors and hence kernel state across the exec, even for devices
that do not support live migration.

Because the old and new QEMU instances are not active concurrently,
the URI cannot be a type that streams data from one instance to the
other.

This mode does not require a channel of type ``cpr``.  The information
that is passed over that channel for cpr-transfer mode is instead
serialized to a memfd, the number of the fd is saved in the
QEMU_CPR_EXEC_STATE environment variable during the exec of new QEMU.
and new QEMU mmaps the memfd.

Usage
^^^^^

Arguments for the new QEMU process are taken from the
@cpr-exec-command parameter.  The first argument should be the
path of a new QEMU binary, or a prefix command that exec's the
new QEMU binary, and the arguments should include the ''-incoming''
option.

Memory backend objects must have the ``share=on`` attribute.
The VM must be started with the ``-machine aux-ram-share=on`` option.

Outgoing:
  * Set the migration mode parameter to ``cpr-exec``.
  * Set the ``cpr-exec-command`` parameter.
  * Issue the ``migrate`` command.  It is recommended that the URI be
    a ``file`` type, but one can use other types such as ``exec``,
    provided the command captures all the data from the outgoing side,
    and provides all the data to the incoming side.

Incoming:
  * You do not need to explicitly start new QEMU.  It is started as
    a side effect of the migrate command above.
  * If the VM was running when the outgoing ``migrate`` command was
    issued, then QEMU automatically resumes VM execution.

Example 1: incoming URI
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In these examples, we simply restart the same version of QEMU, but in
a real scenario one would set a new QEMU binary path in
cpr-exec-command.

::

  # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
  -object memory-backend-memfd,id=ram0,size=4G
  -machine memory-backend=ram0
  -machine aux-ram-share=on
  ...

  QEMU 10.2.50 monitor - type 'help' for more information
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter mode cpr-exec
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter cpr-exec-command qemu-kvm ... -incoming file:vm.state
  (qemu) migrate -d file:vm.state
  (qemu) QEMU 10.2.50 monitor - type 'help' for more information
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running

Example 2: incoming defer
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
::

  # qemu-kvm -monitor stdio
  -object memory-backend-memfd,id=ram0,size=4G
  -machine memory-backend=ram0
  -machine aux-ram-share=on
  ...

  QEMU 10.2.50 monitor - type 'help' for more information
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter mode cpr-exec
  (qemu) migrate_set_parameter cpr-exec-command qemu-kvm ... -incoming defer
  (qemu) migrate -d file:vm.state
  (qemu) QEMU 10.2.50 monitor - type 'help' for more information
  (qemu) info status
  status: paused (inmigrate)
  (qemu) migrate_incoming file:vm.state
  (qemu) info status
  VM status: running

Caveats
^^^^^^^

cpr-exec mode may not be used with postcopy, background-snapshot,
or COLO.

cpr-exec mode requires permission to use the exec system call, which
is denied by certain sandbox options, such as spawn.

The guest pause time increases for large guest RAM backed by small pages.