(In reply to Igor Netkachev from comment #0)
> Description of problem:
> when running guestmount in nested RHEL vm on vmware vSphere, the action
> fails with:
> qemu-kvm: /builddir/build/BUILD/qemu-2.6.0/target-i386/kvm.c:1736:
> kvm_put_msrs: Assertion `ret == n' failed.

I don't remember the vmware hypervisor environment very much, is there still a cos terminal or something ? Is there a easy way to get a list of cpu flags in the host and is there a way for the host hypervisor not to advertise arch_perfmon to the guest ?

> This does not happen if kvm_intel module is not loaded, but in that case
> other error messages are displayed:
> 
> $ LIBGUESTFS_BACKEND=direct guestmount -a
> /home/stack/images/overcloud-full.qcow2 -i /mnt/stack --verbose 2>&1 | grep
> KVM
> Could not access KVM kernel module: No such file or directory
> failed to initialize KVM: No such file or directory
> 
> 
> 
> Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
> VMWare vSphere 6.0.0
> RHEL 7.3 host VM
> kernel-3.10.0-514.16.1.el7.x86_64
> qemu-kvm-rhev-2.6.0-28.el7_3.9.x86_64
> libvirt-2.0.0-10.el7_3.9.x86_64
> 
> How reproducible:
> 100%
> 
> Steps to Reproduce:
> 1. Setup latest RHEL 7.3 VM with "Hardware virtualization" enabled on VMWare
> hypervisor
> 2. Register VM and attach to the pool that ptovides qemu-kvm-rhev (either
> OpenStack or RHV subscriptopn is required)
> 3. yum install libvirt qemu-kvm-rhev libguestfs libguestfs-tools
> 4. mkdir /mnt/stack
> 5. modprobe kvm_intel
> 6. Download rhel-guest-image-7.3-35.x86_64.qcow2 from Customer Portal to
> that host VM
> 7. LIBGUESTFS_BACKEND=direct guestmount -a
> ./rhel-guest-image-7.3-35.x86_64.qcow2 -i /mnt/stack --verbose 2>&1 | grep
> ^qemu-kvm
> 
> Actual results:
> qemu-kvm process fails tp stary with the following error:
> qemu-kvm: /builddir/build/BUILD/qemu-2.6.0/target-i386/kvm.c:1736:
> kvm_put_msrs: Assertion `ret == n' failed.
> 
> 
> Expected results:
> qemu-kvm process starts up without errors
> 
> Additional info:
> This bug is not reproducible if the host VM is running on QEMU/KVM RHEL
> hypervisor, but it's 100% reproducible  if the host VM is running on VMWare
> hypervisor
> 
> 
> --
> Kind Regards,
> Igor Netkachev
> Technical Support Engineer
> Red Hat Global Support Services

*** Bug 1463502 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

hitting the same issue on centos 7:
trying to run Triple-O installation nested, unsuccessfully due to this bug:


libguestfs-test-tool
     ************************************************************
     *                    IMPORTANT NOTICE
     *
     * When reporting bugs, include the COMPLETE, UNEDITED
     * output below in your bug report.
     *
     ************************************************************
libguestfs: trace: set_verbose true
libguestfs: trace: set_verbose = 0
libguestfs: trace: set_backend "direct"
libguestfs: trace: set_backend = 0
libguestfs: trace: set_verbose true
libguestfs: trace: set_verbose = 0
LIBGUESTFS_DEBUG=1
LIBGUESTFS_BACKEND=direct
LIBGUESTFS_TRACE=1
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin
SELinux: Enforcing
libguestfs: trace: add_drive_scratch 104857600
libguestfs: trace: get_tmpdir
libguestfs: trace: get_tmpdir = "/tmp"
libguestfs: trace: disk_create "/tmp/libguestfsx7NNMa/scratch.1" "raw" 104857600
libguestfs: trace: disk_create = 0
libguestfs: trace: add_drive "/tmp/libguestfsx7NNMa/scratch.1" "format:raw" "cachemode:unsafe"
libguestfs: trace: add_drive = 0
libguestfs: trace: add_drive_scratch = 0
libguestfs: trace: get_append
libguestfs: trace: get_append = "NULL"
guestfs_get_append: (null)
libguestfs: trace: get_autosync
libguestfs: trace: get_autosync = 1
guestfs_get_autosync: 1
libguestfs: trace: get_backend
libguestfs: trace: get_backend = "direct"
guestfs_get_backend: direct
libguestfs: trace: get_backend_settings
libguestfs: trace: get_backend_settings = []
guestfs_get_backend_settings: []
libguestfs: trace: get_cachedir
libguestfs: trace: get_cachedir = "/var/tmp"
guestfs_get_cachedir: /var/tmp
libguestfs: trace: get_direct
libguestfs: trace: get_direct = 0
guestfs_get_direct: 0
libguestfs: trace: get_hv
libguestfs: trace: get_hv = "/usr/libexec/qemu-kvm"
guestfs_get_hv: /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm
libguestfs: trace: get_memsize
libguestfs: trace: get_memsize = 500
guestfs_get_memsize: 500
libguestfs: trace: get_network
libguestfs: trace: get_network = 0
guestfs_get_network: 0
libguestfs: trace: get_path
libguestfs: trace: get_path = "/usr/lib64/guestfs"
guestfs_get_path: /usr/lib64/guestfs
libguestfs: trace: get_pgroup
libguestfs: trace: get_pgroup = 0
guestfs_get_pgroup: 0
libguestfs: trace: get_program
libguestfs: trace: get_program = "libguestfs-test-tool"
guestfs_get_program: libguestfs-test-tool
libguestfs: trace: get_recovery_proc
libguestfs: trace: get_recovery_proc = 1
guestfs_get_recovery_proc: 1
libguestfs: trace: get_smp
libguestfs: trace: get_smp = 1
guestfs_get_smp: 1
libguestfs: trace: get_tmpdir
libguestfs: trace: get_tmpdir = "/tmp"
guestfs_get_tmpdir: /tmp
libguestfs: trace: get_trace
libguestfs: trace: get_trace = 1
guestfs_get_trace: 1
libguestfs: trace: get_verbose
libguestfs: trace: get_verbose = 1
guestfs_get_verbose: 1
host_cpu: x86_64
Launching appliance, timeout set to 600 seconds.
libguestfs: trace: launch
libguestfs: trace: version
libguestfs: trace: version = <struct guestfs_version = major: 1, minor: 32, release: 7, extra: rhel=7,release=3.el7_3.3,libvirt, >
libguestfs: trace: get_backend
libguestfs: trace: get_backend = "direct"
libguestfs: launch: program=libguestfs-test-tool
libguestfs: launch: version=1.32.7rhel=7,release=3.el7_3.3,libvirt
libguestfs: launch: backend registered: unix
libguestfs: launch: backend registered: uml
libguestfs: launch: backend registered: libvirt
libguestfs: launch: backend registered: direct
libguestfs: launch: backend=direct
libguestfs: launch: tmpdir=/tmp/libguestfsx7NNMa
libguestfs: launch: umask=0022
libguestfs: launch: euid=0
libguestfs: trace: get_backend_setting "force_tcg"
libguestfs: trace: get_backend_setting = NULL (error)
libguestfs: trace: get_cachedir
libguestfs: trace: get_cachedir = "/var/tmp"
libguestfs: begin building supermin appliance
libguestfs: run supermin
libguestfs: command: run: /usr/bin/supermin5
libguestfs: command: run: \ --build
libguestfs: command: run: \ --verbose
libguestfs: command: run: \ --if-newer
libguestfs: command: run: \ --lock /var/tmp/.guestfs-0/lock
libguestfs: command: run: \ --copy-kernel
libguestfs: command: run: \ -f ext2
libguestfs: command: run: \ --host-cpu x86_64
libguestfs: command: run: \ /usr/lib64/guestfs/supermin.d
libguestfs: command: run: \ -o /var/tmp/.guestfs-0/appliance.d
supermin: version: 5.1.16
supermin: rpm: detected RPM version 4.11
supermin: package handler: fedora/rpm
supermin: acquiring lock on /var/tmp/.guestfs-0/lock
supermin: if-newer: output does not need rebuilding
libguestfs: finished building supermin appliance
libguestfs: begin testing qemu features
libguestfs: command: run: /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm
libguestfs: command: run: \ -display none
libguestfs: command: run: \ -help
libguestfs: qemu version 2.6
libguestfs: command: run: /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm
libguestfs: command: run: \ -display none
libguestfs: command: run: \ -machine accel=kvm:tcg
libguestfs: command: run: \ -device ?
libguestfs: finished testing qemu features
libguestfs: trace: get_backend_setting "gdb"
libguestfs: trace: get_backend_setting = NULL (error)
[00171ms] /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm \
    -global virtio-blk-pci.scsi=off \
    -nodefconfig \
    -enable-fips \
    -nodefaults \
    -display none \
    -machine accel=kvm:tcg \
    -cpu host \
    -m 500 \
    -no-reboot \
    -rtc driftfix=slew \
    -no-hpet \
    -global kvm-pit.lost_tick_policy=discard \
    -kernel /var/tmp/.guestfs-0/appliance.d/kernel \
    -initrd /var/tmp/.guestfs-0/appliance.d/initrd \
    -object rng-random,filename=/dev/urandom,id=rng0 \
    -device virtio-rng-pci,rng=rng0 \
    -device virtio-scsi-pci,id=scsi \
    -drive file=/tmp/libguestfsx7NNMa/scratch.1,cache=unsafe,format=raw,id=hd0,if=none \
    -device scsi-hd,drive=hd0 \
    -drive file=/var/tmp/.guestfs-0/appliance.d/root,snapshot=on,id=appliance,cache=unsafe,if=none,format=raw \
    -device scsi-hd,drive=appliance \
    -device virtio-serial-pci \
    -serial stdio \
    -device sga \
    -chardev socket,path=/tmp/libguestfsx7NNMa/guestfsd.sock,id=channel0 \
    -device virtserialport,chardev=channel0,name=org.libguestfs.channel.0 \
    -append 'panic=1 console=ttyS0 edd=off udevtimeout=6000 udev.event-timeout=6000 no_timer_check printk.time=1 cgroup_disable=memory usbcore.nousb cryptomgr.notests 8250.nr_uarts=1 root=/dev/sdb selinux=0 guestfs_verbose=1 TERM=xterm'
qemu-kvm: /builddir/build/BUILD/qemu-2.6.0/target-i386/kvm.c:1736: kvm_put_msrs: Assertion `ret == n' failed.
libguestfs: error: appliance closed the connection unexpectedly, see earlier error messages
libguestfs: child_cleanup: 0x7f94990357d0: child process died
libguestfs: sending SIGTERM to process 7056
libguestfs: error: /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm killed by signal 6 (Aborted), see debug messages above
libguestfs: error: guestfs_launch failed, see earlier error messages
libguestfs: trace: launch = -1 (error)
libguestfs-test-tool: failed to launch appliance
libguestfs: trace: close
libguestfs: closing guestfs handle 0x7f94990357d0 (state 0)
libguestfs: command: run: rm
libguestfs: command: run: \ -rf /tmp/libguestfsx7NNMa

tried on vmware esxi 5.5 and 6.0 and 6.1 , all same results

(In reply to korenlev from comment #8)
> tried on vmware esxi 5.5 and 6.0 and 6.1 , all same results

David (dgilbert) pointed me to https://bugs.launchpad.net/qemu/+bug/1661386. I am assuming you are the reporter of that bug ?

I agree with Paolo's reasoning in there. If ESX is L0, it's upto it to advertise PMU correctly and not fail read/write for whatever pmu msrs L1 is trying to access.

In L1, we can try to disable pmu if we detect a nested environment but I think that's something that can be easily done with -cpu host,pmu=off. Can you try running an upstream version of Qemu(>2.9) in L1 ? David tells me that newer version of Qemu print a message when some msr operation fails.

With esx being L0, the bug is in how it emulates PMU msrs. I believe there is a easy workaround by not advertising pmu as mentioned in one of the comments above.

The needinfo request[s] on this closed bug have been removed as they have been unresolved for 1000 days