Re: [PATCH V11 06/10] arm64/perf: Enable branch stack events via FEAT_BRBE

[Mark Rutland]

On Fri, Jun 09, 2023 at 10:52:37AM +0530, Anshuman Khandual wrote:
> [...]
> 
> On 6/5/23 19:13, Mark Rutland wrote:
> >> +void armv8pmu_branch_read(struct pmu_hw_events *cpuc, struct perf_event *event)
> >> +{
> >> +	struct brbe_hw_attr *brbe_attr = (struct brbe_hw_attr *)cpuc->percpu_pmu->private;
> >> +	u64 brbfcr, brbcr;
> >> +	int idx, loop1_idx1, loop1_idx2, loop2_idx1, loop2_idx2, count;
> >> +
> >> +	brbcr = read_sysreg_s(SYS_BRBCR_EL1);
> >> +	brbfcr = read_sysreg_s(SYS_BRBFCR_EL1);
> >> +
> >> +	/* Ensure pause on PMU interrupt is enabled */
> >> +	WARN_ON_ONCE(!(brbcr & BRBCR_EL1_FZP));
> >> +
> >> +	/* Pause the buffer */
> >> +	write_sysreg_s(brbfcr | BRBFCR_EL1_PAUSED, SYS_BRBFCR_EL1);
> >> +	isb();
> >> +
> >> +	/* Determine the indices for each loop */
> >> +	loop1_idx1 = BRBE_BANK0_IDX_MIN;
> >> +	if (brbe_attr->brbe_nr <= BRBE_BANK_MAX_ENTRIES) {
> >> +		loop1_idx2 = brbe_attr->brbe_nr - 1;
> >> +		loop2_idx1 = BRBE_BANK1_IDX_MIN;
> >> +		loop2_idx2 = BRBE_BANK0_IDX_MAX;
> >> +	} else {
> >> +		loop1_idx2 = BRBE_BANK0_IDX_MAX;
> >> +		loop2_idx1 = BRBE_BANK1_IDX_MIN;
> >> +		loop2_idx2 = brbe_attr->brbe_nr - 1;
> >> +	}
> >> +
> >> +	/* Loop through bank 0 */
> >> +	select_brbe_bank(BRBE_BANK_IDX_0);
> >> +	for (idx = 0, count = loop1_idx1; count <= loop1_idx2; idx++, count++) {
> >> +		if (!capture_branch_entry(cpuc, event, idx))
> >> +			goto skip_bank_1;
> >> +	}
> >> +
> >> +	/* Loop through bank 1 */
> >> +	select_brbe_bank(BRBE_BANK_IDX_1);
> >> +	for (count = loop2_idx1; count <= loop2_idx2; idx++, count++) {
> >> +		if (!capture_branch_entry(cpuc, event, idx))
> >> +			break;
> >> +	}
> >> +
> >> +skip_bank_1:
> >> +	cpuc->branches->branch_stack.nr = idx;
> >> +	cpuc->branches->branch_stack.hw_idx = -1ULL;
> >> +	process_branch_aborts(cpuc);
> >> +
> >> +	/* Unpause the buffer */
> >> +	write_sysreg_s(brbfcr & ~BRBFCR_EL1_PAUSED, SYS_BRBFCR_EL1);
> >> +	isb();
> >> +	armv8pmu_branch_reset();
> >> +}
> > The loop indicies are rather difficult to follow, and I think those can be made
> > quite a lot simpler if split out, e.g.
> > 
> > | int __armv8pmu_branch_read(struct pmu_hw_events *cpuc, struct perf_event *event)
> > | {
> > | 	struct brbe_hw_attr *brbe_attr = (struct brbe_hw_attr *)cpuc->percpu_pmu->private;
> > | 	int nr_hw_entries = brbe_attr->brbe_nr;
> > | 	int idx;
> 
> I guess idx needs an init to 0.

Yes, sorry, that should have been:

	int idx = 0;

> > | 
> > | 	select_brbe_bank(BRBE_BANK_IDX_0);
> > | 	while (idx < nr_hw_entries && idx < BRBE_BANK0_IDX_MAX) {
> > | 		if (!capture_branch_entry(cpuc, event, idx))
> > | 			return idx;
> > | 		idx++;
> > | 	}
> > | 
> > | 	select_brbe_bank(BRBE_BANK_IDX_1);
> > | 	while (idx < nr_hw_entries && idx < BRBE_BANK1_IDX_MAX) {
> > | 		if (!capture_branch_entry(cpuc, event, idx))
> > | 			return idx;
> > | 		idx++;
> > | 	}
> > | 
> > | 	return idx;
> > | }
> 
> These loops are better than the proposed one with indices, will update.

Great!

> > | 
> > | void armv8pmu_branch_read(struct pmu_hw_events *cpuc, struct perf_event *event)
> > | {
> > | 	u64 brbfcr, brbcr;
> > | 	int nr;
> > | 
> > | 	brbcr = read_sysreg_s(SYS_BRBCR_EL1);
> > | 	brbfcr = read_sysreg_s(SYS_BRBFCR_EL1);
> > | 
> > | 	/* Ensure pause on PMU interrupt is enabled */
> > | 	WARN_ON_ONCE(!(brbcr & BRBCR_EL1_FZP));
> > | 
> > | 	/* Pause the buffer */
> > | 	write_sysreg_s(brbfcr | BRBFCR_EL1_PAUSED, SYS_BRBFCR_EL1);
> > | 	isb();
> > | 
> > | 	nr = __armv8pmu_branch_read(cpus, event);
> > | 
> > | 	cpuc->branches->branch_stack.nr = nr;
> > | 	cpuc->branches->branch_stack.hw_idx = -1ULL;
> > | 	process_branch_aborts(cpuc);
> > | 
> > | 	/* Unpause the buffer */
> > | 	write_sysreg_s(brbfcr & ~BRBFCR_EL1_PAUSED, SYS_BRBFCR_EL1);
> > | 	isb();
> > | 	armv8pmu_branch_reset();
> > | }
> > 
> > Looking at <linux/perf_event.h> I see:
> > 
> > | /*
> > |  * branch stack layout:
> > |  *  nr: number of taken branches stored in entries[]
> > |  *  hw_idx: The low level index of raw branch records
> > |  *          for the most recent branch.
> > |  *          -1ULL means invalid/unknown.
> > |  *
> > |  * Note that nr can vary from sample to sample
> > |  * branches (to, from) are stored from most recent
> > |  * to least recent, i.e., entries[0] contains the most
> > |  * recent branch.
> > |  * The entries[] is an abstraction of raw branch records,
> > |  * which may not be stored in age order in HW, e.g. Intel LBR.
> > |  * The hw_idx is to expose the low level index of raw
> > |  * branch record for the most recent branch aka entries[0].
> > |  * The hw_idx index is between -1 (unknown) and max depth,
> > |  * which can be retrieved in /sys/devices/cpu/caps/branches.
> > |  * For the architectures whose raw branch records are
> > |  * already stored in age order, the hw_idx should be 0.
> > |  */
> > | struct perf_branch_stack {
> > |         __u64                           nr;  
> > |         __u64                           hw_idx;
> > |         struct perf_branch_entry        entries[];
> > | };
> > 
> > ... which seems to indicate we should be setting hw_idx to 0, since IIUC our
> > records are in age order.
> Branch records are indeed in age order, sure will change hw_idx as 0. Earlier
> figured that there was no need for hw_idx and hence marked it as -1UL similar
> to other platforms like powerpc.

That's fair enough; looking at power_pmu_bhrb_read() in
arch/powerpc/perf/core-book3s.c, I see a comment:

	Branches are read most recent first (ie. mfbhrb 0 is
	the most recent branch).

... which suggests that should be 0 also, or that the documentation is wrong.

Do you know how the perf tool consumes this?

Thanks,
Mark.