audk/DynamicTablesPkg/Readme.md

Dynamic Tables Framework
------------------------

Dynamic Tables Framework provides mechanisms to reduce the amount
of effort required in porting firmware to new platforms. The aim is
to provide an implementation capable of generating the firmware
tables from an external source.  This is potentially a management
node, either local or remote, or, where suitable, a file that might
be generated from the system construction.  This initial release
does not fully implement that - the configuration is held in local
UEFI modules.

Feature Summary
---------------
The dynamic tables framework is designed to generate standardised
firmware tables that describe the hardware information at
run-time. A goal of standardised firmware is to have a common
firmware for a platform capable of booting both Windows and Linux
operating systems.

Traditionally the firmware tables are handcrafted using ACPI
Source Language (ASL), Table Definition Language (TDL) and
C-code. This approach can be error prone and involves time
consuming debugging. In addition, it may be desirable to configure
platform hardware at runtime such as: configuring the number of
cores available for use by the OS, or turning SoC features ON or
OFF.

The dynamic tables framework simplifies this by providing a set
of standard table generators, that are implemented as libraries.
These generators query a platform specific component, the
'Configuration Manager', to collate the information required
for generating the tables at run-time.

The framework also provides the ability to implement custom/OEM
generators; thereby facilitating support for custom tables. The
custom generators can also utilize the existing standard generators
and override any functionality if needed.

The framework currently implements a set of standard ACPI table
generators for ARM architecture, that can generate Server Base Boot
Requirement (SBBR) compliant tables. Although, the set of standard
generators implement the functionality required for ARM architecture;
the framework is extensible, and support for other architectures can
be added easily.

The framework currently supports the following table generators for ARM:
* DBG2 - Debug Port Table 2
* DSDT - Differentiated system description table. This is essentially
         a RAW table generator.
* FADT - Fixed ACPI Description Table
* GTDT - Generic Timer Description Table
* IORT - IO Remapping Table
* MADT - Multiple APIC Description Table
* MCFG - PCI Express memory mapped configuration space base address
         Description Table
* SPCR - Serial Port Console Redirection Table
* SSDT - Secondary System Description Table. This is essentially
         a RAW table generator.

Roadmap
-------
The current implementation of the Configuration Manager populates the
platform information statically as a C structure. Further enhancements
to introduce runtime loading of platform information from a platform
information file is planned.

Also support for generating SMBIOS tables is planned and will be added
subsequently.

Supported Platforms
-------------------
1. Juno
2. FVP Models

Build Instructions
------------------
1. Set path for the iASL compiler with support for generating a C header
   file as output.

2. Set PACKAGES_PATH to point to the locations of the following repositories:

Example:

> set PACKAGES_PATH=%CD%\edk2;%CD%\edk2-platforms;

  or

> export PACKAGES_PATH=$PWD/edk2:$PWD/edk2-platforms

3. To enable Dynamic tables framework the *'DYNAMIC_TABLES_FRAMEWORK'*
option must be defined. This can be passed as a command line
parameter to the edk2 build system.

Example:

>build -a AARCH64 -p Platform\ARM\JunoPkg\ArmJuno.dsc
   -t GCC5 **-D DYNAMIC_TABLES_FRAMEWORK**

or

>build -a AARCH64 -p Platform\ARM\VExpressPkg\ArmVExpress-FVP-AArch64.dsc
   -t GCC5 **-D DYNAMIC_TABLES_FRAMEWORK**

Prerequisites
-------------
Ensure that the latest ACPICA iASL compiler is used for building *Dynamic Tables Framework*.
*Dynamic Tables Framework* has been tested using the following iASL compiler version:
[Version 20200717](https://www.acpica.org/node/183)*, dated 17 July, 2020.


Running CI builds locally
-------------------------

The TianoCore EDKII project has introduced Core CI infrastructure using TianoCore EDKII Tools PIP modules:

   -  *[edk2-pytool-library](https://pypi.org/project/edk2-pytool-library)*

   - *[edk2-pytool-extensions](https://pypi.org/project/edk2-pytool-extensions)*


The instructions to setup the CI environment are in *'edk2\\.pytool\\Readme.md'*

## Building DynamicTablesPkg with Pytools

1. [Optional] Create a Python Virtual Environment - generally once per workspace

    ```
        python -m venv <name of virtual environment>

        e.g. python -m venv edk2-ci
    ```

2. [Optional] Activate Virtual Environment - each time new shell/command window is opened

    ```
        <name of virtual environment>/Scripts/activate

        e.g. On a windows host PC run:
             edk2-ci\Scripts\activate.bat
    ```
3. Install Pytools - generally once per virtual env or whenever pip-requirements.txt changes

    ```
        pip install --upgrade -r pip-requirements.txt
    ```

4. Initialize & Update Submodules - only when submodules updated

    ```
        stuart_setup -c .pytool/CISettings.py TOOL_CHAIN_TAG=<TOOL_CHAIN_TAG> -a <TARGET_ARCH>

        e.g. stuart_setup -c .pytool/CISettings.py TOOL_CHAIN_TAG=GCC5
    ```

5. Initialize & Update Dependencies - only as needed when ext_deps change

    ```
        stuart_update -c .pytool/CISettings.py TOOL_CHAIN_TAG=<TOOL_CHAIN_TAG> -a <TARGET_ARCH>

        e.g. stuart_update -c .pytool/CISettings.py TOOL_CHAIN_TAG=GCC5
    ```

6. Compile the basetools if necessary - only when basetools C source files change

    ```
        python BaseTools/Edk2ToolsBuild.py -t <ToolChainTag>
    ```

7. Compile DynamicTablesPkg

    ```
        stuart_build-c .pytool/CISettings.py TOOL_CHAIN_TAG=<TOOL_CHAIN_TAG> -a <TARGET_ARCH>

        e.g. stuart_ci_build -c .pytool/CISettings.py TOOL_CHAIN_TAG=GCC5 -p DynamicTablesPkg -a AARCH64 --verbose
    ```

    - use `stuart_build -c .pytool/CISettings.py -h` option to see help on additional options.


Documentation
-------------

Refer to the following presentation from *UEFI Plugfest Seattle 2018*:

[Dynamic Tables Framework: A Step Towards Automatic Generation of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) & System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) Tables](http://www.uefi.org/sites/default/files/resources/Arm_Dynamic%20Tables%20Framework%20A%20Step%20Towards%20Automatic%20Generation%20of%20Advanced%20Configuration%20and%20Power%20Interface%20%28ACPI%29%20%26%20System%20Management%20BIOS%20%28SMBIOS%29%20Tables%20_0.pdf)