[Savannah-hackers] Re: submission of Fast Kernel Tracing - savannah.nongnu.org

[Robert D. Russell]

Hello:

I was wondering if any action has been taken on this submission --
it has been 3 weeks so far, and I have heard nothing, pro or con.

Thanks,
Bob Russell


On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 address@hidden wrote:

> A package was submitted to savannah.nongnu.org
> This mail was sent to address@hidden, address@hidden
> 
> 
> Bob Russell <address@hidden> described the package as follows:
> License: gpl
> Other License: 
> Package: Fast Kernel Tracing
> System name: fkt
> Type: non-GNU
> 
> Description:
> This project has developed a flexible, efficient software tool for
> accurate performance evaluation and tracing of code in the kernel
> and in loadable kernel modules of the Linux operating system on
> Intel Pentium processors, both uniprocessors and multiprocessors.
> We call the tool FKT (Fast Kernel Tracing).  It consists of a
> number of modifications and additions to the Linux kernel that
> collect and record data in real time, as well as some user-level
> programs to control the probing and to perform off-line analysis.
> The current code base is at the URL:
> http://perso.ens-lyon.fr/samuel.thibault/fkt-20040412.tgz
> 
> The method consists of placing special software "probe" macros at
> various locations in the kernel source code.  The source code must
> then be recompiled, and compilation of the probes is controlled by
> a configuration symbol (CONFIG_FKT).  Placement of probes is
> determined by the kernel programmer, and can be done manually or
> automatically via the "instrument_function" attribute provided by the GNU C 
> compiler.  Typically, one probe is placed at the entry to, and another probe 
> at the exit from, every kernel function of interest to the programmer.  By 
> default, probes are always placed at the entry to and exit from every system 
> call, trap, and interrupt, and at the process switch point in the kernel.
> 
> Each probe supplies a "mask" parameter with one or more bits set
> in it.  All probes having the same bit set in their keymask form
> a "probe-set", and a probe-set can be enabled or disabled by
> user-level programs through the use of some new system calls.
> When a probe is disabled, the only overhead it introduces is the cost of a 
> bitmask test and branch.  A probe can also be supplied with other parameters 
> of the programmer's choosing, which makes it a useful debugging tool, 
> especially valuable when developing new modules and/or additions to the 
> kernel.
> 
> Probes record data into kernel buffers that are written to a file
> set up at the beginning of an FKT run.  Recording is done using
> the Linux "sendpage()" mechanism, which avoids extra copying of
> the buffers.  Each probe records an unique identification code, a
> timestamp obtained from the hardware Time Stamp Counter, the
> number of the processor executing the code, and the additional
> parameters, if any.  The off-line analysis program, run after the
> file has been completely written, maps the identification code to
> text identifying the probe (typically the name of the function in
> which it was placed).  At the start of a run, the kernel symbol
> table, and the symbol tables of all loaded modules, are recorded
> in the file so that they are kept together with the data recorded
> by the probes.  The offline analysis can use these symbol tables
> to map the locations generated by the GCC "instrument_function"
> feature into symbolic names.
> 
> The current offline analysis offers a number of options to produce detailed 
> traces, function nesting traces, and exact accounting for every machine 
> cycle.  Future plans call for developing a general library that would allow 
> users to easily develop their own analysis programs, and a graphical 
> interface to the analysis output.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Other Software Required:
> This project depends on the Linux kernel and the Intel x86 hardware.  It 
> should be possible to extend it to run on other hardware.
> 
> 
> Other Comments:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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