[PATCH 3/3] perf, x86: Add INST_RETIRED.ALL workarounds

From: Andi Kleen
Date: Mon Feb 09 2015 - 14:18:28 EST


From: Andi Kleen <ak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

On Broadwell INST_RETIRED.ALL cannot be used with any period
that doesn't have the lowest 6 bits cleared. And the period
should not be smaller than 128.

Add a new callback to enforce this, and set it for Broadwell.

This is erratum BDM57 and BDM11.

How does this handle the case when an app requests a specific
period with some of the bottom bits set

The apps thinks it is sampling at X occurences per sample, when it is
in fact at X - 63 (worst case).

Short answer:

Any useful instruction sampling period needs to be 4-6 orders
of magnitude larger than 128, as an PMI every 128 instructions
would instantly overwhelm the system and be throttled.
So the +-64 error from this is really small compared to the
period, much smaller than normal system jitter.

Long answer:

<write up by Peter:>

IFF we guarantee perf_event_attr::sample_period >= 128.

Suppose we start out with sample_period=192; then we'll set period_left
to 192, we'll end up with left = 128 (we truncate the lower bits). We
get an interrupt, find that period_left = 64 (>0 so we return 0 and
don't get an overflow handler), up that to 128. Then we trigger again,
at n=256. Then we find period_left = -64 (<=0 so we return 1 and do get
an overflow). We increment with sample_period so we get left = 128. We
fire again, at n=384, period_left = 0 (<=0 so we return 1 and get an
overflow). And on and on.

So while the individual interrupts are 'wrong' we get then with
interval=256,128 in exactly the right ratio to average out at 192. And
this works for everything >=128.

So the num_samples*fixed_period thing is still entirely correct +- 127,
which is good enough I'd say, as you already have that error anyhow.

So no need to 'fix' the tools, al we need to do is refuse to create
INST_RETIRED:ALL events with sample_period < 128.

v2: Use correct event name in description. Use EVENT() macro.
v3: Use INTEL_ARCH_EVENT_MASK. Error out for events with too small period.
v4: Expand description.
Signed-off-by: Andi Kleen <ak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c | 9 +++++++++
arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h | 1 +
arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c | 19 +++++++++++++++++++
3 files changed, 29 insertions(+)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
index 143e5f5..66451a6 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
@@ -445,6 +445,12 @@ int x86_pmu_hw_config(struct perf_event *event)
if (event->attr.type == PERF_TYPE_RAW)
event->hw.config |= event->attr.config & X86_RAW_EVENT_MASK;

+ if (event->attr.sample_period && x86_pmu.limit_period) {
+ if (x86_pmu.limit_period(event, event->attr.sample_period) >
+ event->attr.sample_period)
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+
return x86_setup_perfctr(event);
}

@@ -982,6 +988,9 @@ int x86_perf_event_set_period(struct perf_event *event)
if (left > x86_pmu.max_period)
left = x86_pmu.max_period;

+ if (x86_pmu.limit_period)
+ left = x86_pmu.limit_period(event, left);
+
per_cpu(pmc_prev_left[idx], smp_processor_id()) = left;

/*
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h
index 4e6cdb0..6ce77bd 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ struct x86_pmu {
struct x86_pmu_quirk *quirks;
int perfctr_second_write;
bool late_ack;
+ unsigned (*limit_period)(struct perf_event *event, unsigned l);

/*
* sysfs attrs
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c
index 7c480e8..96c0898 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c
@@ -2111,6 +2111,24 @@ hsw_get_event_constraints(struct cpu_hw_events *cpuc, struct perf_event *event)
return c;
}

+/*
+ * Broadwell:
+ * The INST_RETIRED.ALL period always needs to have lowest
+ * 6bits cleared (BDM57). It shall not use a period smaller
+ * than 100 (BDM11). We combine the two to enforce
+ * a min-period of 128.
+ */
+static unsigned bdw_limit_period(struct perf_event *event, unsigned left)
+{
+ if ((event->hw.config & INTEL_ARCH_EVENT_MASK) ==
+ X86_CONFIG(.event=0xc0, .umask=0x01)) {
+ if (left < 128)
+ left = 128;
+ left &= ~0x3fu;
+ }
+ return left;
+}
+
PMU_FORMAT_ATTR(event, "config:0-7" );
PMU_FORMAT_ATTR(umask, "config:8-15" );
PMU_FORMAT_ATTR(edge, "config:18" );
@@ -2804,6 +2822,7 @@ __init int intel_pmu_init(void)
x86_pmu.hw_config = hsw_hw_config;
x86_pmu.get_event_constraints = hsw_get_event_constraints;
x86_pmu.cpu_events = hsw_events_attrs;
+ x86_pmu.limit_period = bdw_limit_period;
pr_cont("Broadwell events, ");
break;

--
1.9.3

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