[PATCH 25/25] perf intel-pt: Add documentation for Event Trace and TNT disable

From: Adrian Hunter
Date: Mon Jan 24 2022 - 03:44:01 EST


Add documentation for Event Trace and TNT disable to the perf Intel PT man
page.

Signed-off-by: Adrian Hunter <adrian.hunter@xxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/perf/Documentation/perf-intel-pt.txt | 104 ++++++++++++++++++++-
1 file changed, 102 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-intel-pt.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-intel-pt.txt
index cbb920f5d056..ff58bd4c381b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-intel-pt.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-intel-pt.txt
@@ -108,9 +108,10 @@ displayed as follows:

perf script --itrace=ibxwpe -F+flags

-The flags are "bcrosyiABExgh" which stand for branch, call, return, conditional,
+The flags are "bcrosyiABExghDt" which stand for branch, call, return, conditional,
system, asynchronous, interrupt, transaction abort, trace begin, trace end,
-in transaction, VM-entry, and VM-exit respectively.
+in transaction, VM-entry, VM-exit, interrupt disabled, and interrupt disable
+toggle respectively.

perf script also supports higher level ways to dump instruction traces:

@@ -483,6 +484,30 @@ pwr_evt Enable power events. The power events provide information about
which contains "1" if the feature is supported and
"0" otherwise.

+event Enable Event Trace. The events provide information about asynchronous
+ events.
+
+ Support for this feature is indicated by:
+
+ /sys/bus/event_source/devices/intel_pt/caps/event_trace
+
+ which contains "1" if the feature is supported and
+ "0" otherwise.
+
+notnt Disable TNT packets. Without TNT packets, it is not possible to walk
+ executable code to reconstruct control flow, however FUP, TIP, TIP.PGE
+ and TIP.PGD packets still indicate asynchronous control flow, and (if
+ return compression is disabled - see noretcomp) return statements.
+ The advantage of eliminating TNT packets is reducing the size of the
+ trace and corresponding tracing overhead.
+
+ Support for this feature is indicated by:
+
+ /sys/bus/event_source/devices/intel_pt/caps/tnt_disable
+
+ which contains "1" if the feature is supported and
+ "0" otherwise.
+

AUX area sampling option
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -876,6 +901,8 @@ The letters are:
p synthesize "power" events (incl. PSB events)
c synthesize branches events (calls only)
r synthesize branches events (returns only)
+ o synthesize PEBS-via-PT events
+ I synthesize Event Trace events
e synthesize tracing error events
d create a debug log
g synthesize a call chain (use with i or x)
@@ -1371,6 +1398,79 @@ There were none.
:17006 17006 [001] 11500.262869216: ffffffff8220116e error_entry+0xe ([guest.kernel.kallsyms]) pushq %rax


+Event Trace
+-----------
+
+Event Trace records information about asynchronous events, for example interrupts,
+faults, VM exits and entries. The information is recorded in CFE and EVD packets,
+and also the Interrupt Flag is recorded on the MODE.Exec packet. The CFE packet
+contains a type field to identify one of the following:
+
+ 1 INTR interrupt, fault, exception, NMI
+ 2 IRET interrupt return
+ 3 SMI system management interrupt
+ 4 RSM resume from system management mode
+ 5 SIPI startup interprocessor interrupt
+ 6 INIT INIT signal
+ 7 VMENTRY VM-Entry
+ 8 VMEXIT VM-Entry
+ 9 VMEXIT_INTR VM-Exit due to interrupt
+ 10 SHUTDOWN Shutdown
+
+For more details, refer to the Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software
+Developer Manuals (version 076 or later).
+
+The capability to do Event Trace is indicated by the
+/sys/bus/event_source/devices/intel_pt/caps/event_trace file.
+
+Event trace is selected for recording using the "event" config term. e.g.
+
+ perf record -e intel_pt/event/u uname
+
+Event trace events are output using the --itrace I option. e.g.
+
+ perf script --itrace=Ie
+
+perf script displays events containing CFE type, vector and event data,
+in the form:
+
+ evt: hw int (t) cfe: INTR IP: 1 vector: 3 PFA: 0x8877665544332211
+
+The IP flag indicates if the event binds to an IP, which includes any case where
+flow control packet generation is enabled, as well as when CFE packet IP bit is
+set.
+
+perf script displays events containing changes to the Interrupt Flag in the form:
+
+ iflag: t IFLAG: 1->0 via branch
+
+where "via branch" indicates a branch (interrupt or return from interrupt) and
+"non branch" indicates an instruction such as CFI, STI or POPF).
+
+In addition, the current state of the interrupt flag is indicated by the presence
+or absence of the "D" (interrupt disabled) perf script flag. If the interrupt
+flag is changed, then the "t" flag is also included i.e.
+
+ no flag, interrupts enabled IF=1
+ t interrupts become disabled IF=1 -> IF=0
+ D interrupts are disabled IF=0
+ Dt interrupts become enabled IF=0 -> IF=1
+
+The intel-pt-events.py script illustrates how to access Event Trace information
+using a Python script.
+
+
+TNT Disable
+-----------
+
+TNT packets are disabled using the "notnt" config term. e.g.
+
+ perf record -e intel_pt/notnt/u uname
+
+In that case the --itrace q option is forced because walking executable code
+to reconstruct the control flow is not possible.
+
+

SEE ALSO
--------
--
2.25.1