Re: [PATCH v6 2/2] tpm: add backend for mssim

[Markus Armbruster]

James Bottomley <jejb@linux.ibm.com> writes:

> On Fri, 2023-09-22 at 08:00 +0200, Markus Armbruster wrote:
>> Found this cleaning out old mail, sorry for missing it until now!
>> 
>> I think we owe James a quick decision wether we're willing to take
>> the
>> feature.  Stefan, thoughts?
>> 
>> James Bottomley <jejb@linux.ibm.com> writes:
>> 
>> > From: James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@HansenPartnership.com>
>> > 
>> > The Microsoft Simulator (mssim) is the reference emulation platform
>> > for the TCG TPM 2.0 specification.
>> > 
>> > https://github.com/Microsoft/ms-tpm-20-ref.git
>> > 
>> > It exports a fairly simple network socket based protocol on two
>> > sockets, one for command (default 2321) and one for control
>> > (default
>> > 2322).  This patch adds a simple backend that can speak the mssim
>> > protocol over the network.  It also allows the two sockets to be
>> > specified on the command line.  The benefits are twofold: firstly
>> > it
>> > gives us a backend that actually speaks a standard TPM emulation
>> > protocol instead of the linux specific TPM driver format of the
>> > current emulated TPM backend and secondly, using the microsoft
>> > protocol, the end point of the emulator can be anywhere on the
>> > network, facilitating the cloud use case where a central TPM
>> > service
>> > can be used over a control network.
>> > 
>> > The implementation does basic control commands like power off/on,
>> > but
>> > doesn't implement cancellation or startup.  The former because
>> > cancellation is pretty much useless on a fast operating TPM
>> > emulator
>> > and the latter because this emulator is designed to be used with
>> > OVMF
>> > which itself does TPM startup and I wanted to validate that.
>> > 
>> > To run this, simply download an emulator based on the MS
>> > specification
>> > (package ibmswtpm2 on openSUSE) and run it, then add these two
>> > lines
>> > to the qemu command and it will use the emulator.
>> > 
>> >     -tpmdev mssim,id=tpm0 \
>> >     -device tpm-crb,tpmdev=tpm0 \
>> > 
>> > to use a remote emulator replace the first line with
>> > 
>> >     -tpmdev
>> > "{'type':'mssim','id':'tpm0','command':{'type':inet,'host':'remote'
>> > ,'port':'2321'}}"
>> > 
>> > tpm-tis also works as the backend.
>> > 
>> > Signed-off-by: James Bottomley <jejb@linux.ibm.com>
>> 
>> [...]
>> 
>> > diff --git a/docs/specs/tpm.rst b/docs/specs/tpm.rst
>> > index 535912a92b..1398735956 100644
>> > --- a/docs/specs/tpm.rst
>> > +++ b/docs/specs/tpm.rst
>> > @@ -270,6 +270,38 @@ available as a module (assuming a TPM 2 is
>> > passed through):
>> >    /sys/devices/LNXSYSTEM:00/LNXSYBUS:00/MSFT0101:00/tpm/tpm0/pcr-
>> > sha256/9
>> >    ...
>> >  
>> > +The QEMU TPM Microsoft Simulator Device
>> > +---------------------------------------
>> > +
>> > +The TCG provides a reference implementation for TPM 2.0 written by
>> 
>> 
>> Suggest to copy the cover letter's nice introductory paragraph here:
>> 
>>   The Microsoft Simulator (mssim) is the reference emulation platform
>>   for the TCG TPM 2.0 specification.
>> 
>>   It provides a reference implementation for TPM 2.0 written by
>
> Sure, that's easy.
>
>> > +Microsoft (See `ms-tpm-20-ref`_ on github).  The reference
>> > implementation
>> > +starts a network server and listens for TPM commands on port 2321
>> > and
>> > +TPM Platform control commands on port 2322, although these can be
>> > +altered.  The QEMU mssim TPM backend talks to this
>> > implementation.  By
>> > +default it connects to the default ports on localhost:
>> > +
>> > +.. code-block:: console
>> > +
>> > +  qemu-system-x86_64 <qemu-options> \
>> > +    -tpmdev mssim,id=tpm0 \
>> > +    -device tpm-crb,tpmdev=tpm0
>> > +
>> > +
>> > +Although it can also communicate with a remote host, which must be
>> > +specified as a SocketAddress via json on the command line for each
>> > of
>> 
>> Is the "via JSON" part in "must be specified ... on the command line"
>> correct?  I'd expect to be able to use dotted keys as well, like
>> 
>>     -tpmdev
>> type=mssim,id=tpm0,command.type=inet,command.host=remote,command.port
>> =2321',control.type=inet,control.host=remote,control.port=2322
>
> Yes, I've verified that the dot notation works as well.  However, I
> thought QEMU was calling all stuff like this JSON notation?  If not,
> what do you usually call it? "json or dot notation"?

Our terminology is a bit fuzzy there.  We commonly say "dotted keys"
(although that's just the part left of the = strictly speaking) or
"key=value,...".

>> Aside: I do recommend management applications stick to JSON.

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