linux-drivers/
drivers/iommu/intel

Intel VT-d IOMMU (DMA Remapping)

Intel's VT-d IOMMU, built into nearly every modern Intel chipset and Xeon server, translates and isolates DMA from devices so virtual machines can safely be given direct access to PCI hardware and so the kernel can protect memory from misbehaving peripherals. It underpins PCI passthrough in KVM, Shared Virtual Addressing, and DMA protection on current Intel laptops, desktops, and servers.

keep conf=0.97 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=iommu category=virtualization
97%

recommendation

It should stay because Intel VT-d is core platform infrastructure on virtually every modern Intel server and client system, and the code is under active maintenance. Stable backports landed as recently as March 2026 for hardlockup and PRI/SVA fault-handling fixes, and Intel continues to ship VT-d on current Core Ultra 200 and Xeon 6 products. There is no alternative driver for this hardware.

repository signals

19 files
14,451 source lines
495 commits, 5y
+11,369 / −9,701 lines added / removed, 5y
96 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 495 total · active in 57/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-05: 3 commits · +12 −4 2021-06: 25 commits · +922 −500 2021-07: 8 commits · +95 −86 2021-08: 15 commits · +80 −69 2021-09: 1 commit · +3 −3 2021-10: 8 commits · +172 −93 2021-11: 2 commits · +5 −6 2021-12: 5 commits · +37 −74 2022-01: 1 commit · +10 −3 2022-02: 9 commits · +22 −921 2022-03: 13 commits · +136 −363 2022-04: 6 commits · +46 −10 2022-05: 8 commits · +162 −116 2022-06: 1 commit · +3 −91 2022-07: 24 commits · +1,258 −460 2022-08: 9 commits · +120 −112 2022-09: 9 commits · +80 −173 2022-10: 12 commits · +133 −127 2022-11: 16 commits · +141 −140 2022-12: 5 commits · +89 −10 2023-01: 15 commits · +1,228 −94 2023-02: 4 commits · +27 −6 2023-03: 7 commits · +61 −136 2023-04: 16 commits · +136 −144 2023-05: 3 commits · +3 −7 2023-06: 6 commits · +11 −25 2023-07: 1 commit · +4 −4 2023-08: 10 commits · +196 −157 2023-09: 5 commits · +35 −23 2023-10: 16 commits · +758 −97 2023-11: 8 commits · +59 −8 2023-12: 5 commits · +415 −525 2024-01: 1 commit · +88 −0 2024-02: 24 commits · +332 −168 2024-03: 8 commits · +297 −159 2024-04: 24 commits · +913 −764 2024-05: 3 commits · +18 −22 2024-06: 1 commit · +10 −10 2024-07: 11 commits · +244 −100 2024-08: 4 commits · +19 −123 2024-09: 14 commits · +567 −474 2024-10: 1 commit · +3 −1 2024-11: 32 commits · +1,129 −975 2024-12: 6 commits · +44 −16 2025-01: 5 commits · +42 −387 2025-02: 3 commits · +11 −4 2025-03: 10 commits · +181 −233 2025-04: 13 commits · +178 −117 2025-05: 7 commits · +68 −95 2025-06: 4 commits · +33 −24 2025-07: 16 commits · +302 −220 2025-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-09: 9 commits · +34 −33 2025-10: 4 commits · +213 −888 2025-11: 7 commits · +55 −29 2025-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-01: 7 commits · +83 −229 2026-02: 3 commits · +37 −37 2026-03: 2 commits · +9 −6 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. spinics.net

    March 2026 stable backport for a vt-d hardlockup fix shows current upstream/stable maintenance and production relevance.

  2. spinics.net

    March 2026 stable backport for PRI/SVA IOPF handling shows ongoing feature and correctness work in the Intel vt-d driver.

  3. lkml.org

    September 2025 patch removes only an obsolete debugfs exposure tied to Advanced Fault Logging; this is cleanup for newer VT-d specs, not driver deprecation/removal.

  4. edc.intel.com

    Intel Core Ultra 200H/200U datasheet documents Intel VT-d on current product lines, indicating the hardware class is still sold new in 2025.

  5. intel.com

    Intel support article lists recent Xeon generations and Xeon 6 as supporting VT-d-backed virtualization features, supporting continued deployment on new systems.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Local evidence via `exec_command`: `drivers/iommu/intel/Kconfig` identifies this as the Intel IOMMU DMA-remapping driver and mentions modern VT-d 4.0 perf support; `git log -c safe.directory=... -- drivers/iommu/intel` shows substantive 2025-2026 activity with multiple vt-d fixes. URL evidence was obtained with web search: turn1search7 and turn1search5 for recent stable backports, turn1search0 for 2025 cleanup discussion, and turn0search0 plus turn0search5 for current Intel VT-d shipping/deployment evidence. Conclusion: this is active, core platform infrastructure for contemporary Intel systems, with no same-hardware replacement driver.