perf, tools: Document event specifications better
PATCH 1/2 perf, tools: Document event specifications better
From: Andi Kleen <[email protected]>
Document some undocumented features for specifying events in the perf list manpage:
- Event groups
- Leader sampling
- How to specify raw PMU events in the new syntax
- Global versus per process PMUs.
- Access restrictions
- Fix Intel SDM URL
v2: Lots of new content. address review feedback.
--- tools/perf/Documentation/perf-list.txt | 107 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 106 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
tools/perf/Documentation/perf-list.txt +106 -1
@@ -91,6 +91,67 @@ raw encoding of 0x1A8 can be used: You should refer to the processor specific documentation for getting these details. Some of them are referenced in the SEE ALSO section below. +ARBITRARY PMUS +-------------- + +perf also supports an extended syntax for specifying raw parameters +to PMUs. Using this typically requires looking up the specific event +in the CPU vendor specific documentation. + +The available PMUs and their raw parameters can be listed with + + ls /sys/devices/*/format + +For example the raw event LSD.UOPS core pmu event above could +be specified as + + perf stat -e cpu/event=0xa8,umask=0x1,name=LSD.UOPS_CYCLES,cmask=1/ ... + +PER SOCKET PMUS +--------------- + +Some PMUs are not associated with a core, but with a whole CPU socket. +Events on these PMUs generally cannot be sampled, but only counted globally +with perf stat -a. They can be bound to one logical CPU, but will measure +all the CPUs in the same socket. + +This example measures memory bandwidth every second +on the first memory controller on socket 0 of a Intel Xeon system + + perf stat -C 0 -a uncore_imc_0/cas_count_read/,uncore_imc_0/cas_count_write/ -I 1000 ... + +Each memory controller has its own PMU. Measuring the complete system +bandwidth would require specifying all imc PMUs (see perf list output), +and adding the values together. + +This example measures the combined core power every second + + perf stat -I 1000 -e power/energy-cores/ -a + +ACCESS RESTRICTIONS +------------------- + +For non root users generally only context switched PMU events are available. +This is normally only the events in the cpu PMU, the predefined events +like cycles and instructions and some software events. + +Other PMUs and global measurements are normally root only. +Some event qualifiers, such as any, are also root only. + +This can be overriden by setting the kernel.perf_event_paranoid +sysctl to -1, which allows non root to use these events. + +For accessing trace point events perf needs to have read access to +/sys/kernel/debug/tracing, even when perf_event_paranoid is in a relaxed +setting. + +TRACING +------- + +Some PMUs control advanced hardware tracing capabilities, such as Intel PT, +that allows low overhead execution tracing. These are described in a separate +intel-pt.txt document. + PARAMETERIZED EVENTS --------------------
@@ -104,6 +165,50 @@ also be supplied. For example: perf stat -C 0 -e 'hv_gpci/dtbp_ptitc,phys_processor_idx=0x2/' ... +EVENT GROUPS +------------ + +Perf supports time based multiplexing of events, when the number of events +active exceeds the number of hardware performance counters. Multiplexing +can cause measurement errors when the workload changes its execution +profile. + +When metrics are computed using formulas from event counts, it is useful to +ensure some events are always measured together as a group to minimize multiplexing +errors. Event groups can be specified using { }. + + perf stat -e '{instructions,cycles}' ... + +The number of available performance counters depend on the CPU. A group +cannot contain more events than available counters. +For example Intel Core CPUs typically have four generic performance counters +for the core, plus three fixed counters for instructions, cycles and +ref-cycles. Some special events have restrictions on which counter they +can schedule, and may not support multiple instances in a single group. +When too many events are specified in the group none of them will not +be measured. + +Globally pinned events can limit the number of counters available for +other groups. On x86 systems, the NMI watchdog pins a counter by default. +The nmi watchdog can be disabled as root with + + echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog + +Events from multiple different PMUs cannot be mixed in a group, with +some exceptions for software events. + +LEADER SAMPLING +--------------- + +perf also supports group leader sampling using the :S specifier. + + perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}:S' ... + perf report --group + +Normally all events in a event group sample, but with :S only +the first event (the leader) samples, and it only reads the values of the +other events in the group. + OPTIONS -------
@@ -141,5 +246,5 @@ SEE ALSO -------- linkperf:perf-stat[1], linkperf:perf-top[1], linkperf:perf-record[1], -http://www.intel.com/Assets/PDF/manual/253669.pdf[Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual Volume 3B: System Programming Guide], +http://www.intel.com/sdm/[Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual Volume 3B: System Programming Guide], http://support.amd.com/us/Processor_TechDocs/24593_APM_v2.pdf[AMD64 Architecture Programmer’s Manual Volume 2: System Programming]
Signature · 1 line
2.5.5
PATCH 2/2 perf, tools: Fix documentation of :ppp in perf list
From: Andi Kleen <[email protected]>
Correctly document what is implemented for :ppp on Intel CPUs in recent kernels.
--- tools/perf/Documentation/perf-list.txt | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
tools/perf/Documentation/perf-list.txt +4 -2
@@ -40,10 +40,12 @@ address should be. The 'p' modifier can be specified multiple times: 0 - SAMPLE_IP can have arbitrary skid 1 - SAMPLE_IP must have constant skid 2 - SAMPLE_IP requested to have 0 skid - 3 - SAMPLE_IP must have 0 skid + 3 - SAMPLE_IP must have 0 skid, or uses randomization to avoid + sample shadowing effects. For Intel systems precise event sampling is implemented with PEBS -which supports up to precise-level 2. +which supports up to precise-level 2, and precise level 3 for +some special cases On AMD systems it is implemented using IBS (up to precise-level 2). The precise modifier works with event types 0x76 (cpu-cycles, CPU
Signature · 1 line
2.5.5
Quoted 5 lines · Andi Kleen
From: Andi Kleen <[email protected]>
Document some undocumented features for specifying events in the perf list manpage:
Quoted 8 lines
- Event groups
- Leader sampling
- How to specify raw PMU events in the new syntax
- Global versus per process PMUs.
- Access restrictions
- Fix Intel SDM URLv2: Lots of new content. address review feedback.
cool, thanks
jirka