VMX and System Management Mode - Part 1

There are two different modes of operation of VMX within SMM:
1.Normal Mode
2.Dual monitor mode

Normal Mode:

Under Normal mode, a SMI# assertion causes the processor to turn-off vmx and enter into SMM. Upon a RSM, the processor automatically enables VMX if it was either in VMX-ROOT or VMX-GUEST prior to the SMI#. Since the processor turns off VMX, it means that CR4.VMXE is treated as reserved bit and must be 0 during RSM.

Algorithmically,

if(smi){
if(vmx_root or vmx_guest){
save cr4.vmxe internally;
if(vmx_root) internal_state = vmx_root;
if(vmx_guest) internal_state = vmx_guest;
turn_off_vmx;
}
save cr4 to smm_ram;
}

during rsm:

if(rsm){
read cr4_val from smm_ram;
if(cr4_val.vmxe==1) jump_to_shutdown;
retrieve internal cr4.vmxe;
cr4 <- cr4_val | (cr4.vmxe<<13);
read internal_state;
if(internal_state==vmx_root) put_cpu_in_vmx_root;
if(internal_state==vmx_guest) put_cpu_in_vmx_guest;
}

Notice the jump_to_shutdown during RSM. Since the processor saves CR4.VMXE internally during SMM, the value saved in SMRAM for CR4.VMXE is always 0. During RSM, the CR4 value is first loaded from SMRAM and bit 13 is checked . It must be 0 – If not the cpu will jump to shutdown. The processor then retrieves the value of VMXE from an internal register and updates CR4 with this value. The state of the processor (whether it was in vmx-root or vmx-guest or normal ia32 operation) is also retrieved and the cpu is put in that state after the completion of RSM.

This process is the default treatment of SMIs with VMX.