qemu/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,
cpr-reboot is the only available mode.

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 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.