[PATCH 11/14] tools/perf: Process the DTL entries in queue and deliver samples

Adrian Hunter adrian.hunter at intel.com
Thu Aug 28 03:29:37 AEST 2025


On 15/08/2025 11:34, Athira Rajeev wrote:
> Create samples from DTL entries for displaying in perf report
> and perf script. When the different PERF_RECORD_XX records are
> processed from perf session, powerpc_vpadtl_process_event() will
> be invoked. For each of the PERF_RECORD_XX record, compare the timestamp
> of perf record with timestamp of top element in the auxtrace heap.
> Process the auxtrace queue if the timestamp of element from heap is
> lower than timestamp from entry in perf record.
> 
> Sometimes it could happen that one buffer is only partially
> processed. if the timestamp of occurrence of another event is more
> than currently processed element in the queue, it will move on
> to next perf record. So keep track of position of buffer to
> continue processing next time. Update the timestamp of the
> auxtrace heap with the timestamp of last processed entry from
> the auxtrace buffer.
> 
> Generate perf sample for each entry in the dispatch trace log.
> Fill in the sample details:
> - sample ip is picked from srr0 field of dtl_entry
> - sample cpu is picked from processor_id of dtl_entry
> - sample id is from sample_id of powerpc_vpadtl
> - cpumode is set to PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL
> - Additionally save the details in raw_data of sample. This
> is to print the relevant fields in perf_sample__fprintf_synth()
> when called from builtin-script
> 
> The sample is processed by calling perf_session__deliver_synth_event()
> so that it gets included in perf report.
> 
> Sample Output:
> 
>   ./perf record -a -e sched:*,vpa_dtl/dtl_all/ -c 1000000000 sleep 1
>   [ perf record: Woken up 1 times to write data ]
>   [ perf record: Captured and wrote 0.300 MB perf.data ]
> 
>   ./perf report
> 
>   # Samples: 321  of event 'vpa-dtl'
>   # Event count (approx.): 321
>   #
>   # Children      Self  Command  Shared Object      Symbol
>   # ........  ........  .......  .................  ..............................
>   #
>      100.00%   100.00%  swapper  [kernel.kallsyms]  [k] plpar_hcall_norets_notrace
> 
> Signed-off-by: Athira Rajeev <atrajeev at linux.ibm.com>
> ---
>  tools/perf/util/powerpc-vpadtl.c | 181 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 181 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/tools/perf/util/powerpc-vpadtl.c b/tools/perf/util/powerpc-vpadtl.c
> index 299927901c9d..370c566f9ac2 100644
> --- a/tools/perf/util/powerpc-vpadtl.c
> +++ b/tools/perf/util/powerpc-vpadtl.c
> @@ -160,6 +160,43 @@ static void powerpc_vpadtl_dump_event(struct powerpc_vpadtl *vpa, unsigned char
>  	powerpc_vpadtl_dump(vpa, buf, len);
>  }
>  
> +/*
> + * Generate perf sample for each entry in the dispatch trace log.
> + *   - sample ip is picked from srr0 field of dtl_entry
> + *   - sample cpu is picked from logical cpu.
> + *   - sample id is from sample_id of powerpc_vpadtl
> + *   - cpumode is set to PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL

Above 4 lines of comments are a bit redundant.

> + *   - Additionally save the details in raw_data of sample. This
> + *   is to print the relevant fields in perf_sample__fprintf_synth()
> + *   when called from builtin-script
> + */
> +static int powerpc_vpadtl_sample(struct dtl_entry *record, struct powerpc_vpadtl *vpa, u64 save, int cpu)
> +{
> +	struct perf_sample sample;
> +	union perf_event event;
> +
> +	sample.ip = be64_to_cpu(record->srr0);
> +	sample.period = 1;
> +	sample.cpu = cpu;
> +	sample.id = vpa->sample_id;
> +	sample.callchain = NULL;
> +	sample.branch_stack = NULL;
> +	memset(&event, 0, sizeof(event));
> +	sample.cpumode = PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL;
> +	sample.time = save;
> +	sample.raw_data = record;
> +	sample.raw_size = sizeof(record);
> +	event.sample.header.type = PERF_RECORD_SAMPLE;
> +	event.sample.header.misc = sample.cpumode;
> +	event.sample.header.size = sizeof(struct perf_event_header);
> +	if (perf_session__deliver_synth_event(vpa->session, &event,
> +				&sample)) {

There is some inconsistency with line wrapping

> +		pr_debug("Failed to create sample for dtl entry\n");
> +		return -1;
> +	}
> +	return 0;
> +}
> +
>  static int powerpc_vpadtl_get_buffer(struct powerpc_vpadtl_queue *vpaq)
>  {
>  	struct auxtrace_buffer *buffer = vpaq->buffer;
> @@ -233,6 +270,148 @@ static int powerpc_vpadtl_decode(struct powerpc_vpadtl_queue *vpaq)
>  	return 1;
>  }
>  
> +static int powerpc_vpadtl_decode_all(struct powerpc_vpadtl_queue *vpaq)
> +{
> +	int ret;
> +	unsigned char *buf;
> +
> +	if (!vpaq->buf_len || (vpaq->pkt_len == vpaq->size)) {

Unnecessary parentheses around 'vpaq->pkt_len == vpaq->size'

> +		ret = powerpc_vpadtl_get_buffer(vpaq);
> +		if (ret <= 0)
> +			return ret;
> +	}
> +
> +	if (vpaq->buffer) {
> +		buf = vpaq->buffer->data;
> +		buf += vpaq->pkt_len;
> +		vpaq->dtl = (struct dtl_entry *)buf;
> +		if ((long long)be64_to_cpu(vpaq->dtl->timebase) <= 0) {
> +			if (vpaq->pkt_len != dtl_entry_size && vpaq->buf_len) {
> +				vpaq->pkt_len += dtl_entry_size;
> +				vpaq->buf_len -= dtl_entry_size;
> +			}
> +			return -1;
> +		}
> +		vpaq->pkt_len += dtl_entry_size;
> +		vpaq->buf_len -= dtl_entry_size;
> +	} else
> +		return 0;

braces {} should be used on all arms of this statement

> +
> +
> +	return 1;
> +}
> +
> +static int powerpc_vpadtl_run_decoder(struct powerpc_vpadtl_queue *vpaq, u64 *timestamp)
> +{
> +	struct powerpc_vpadtl *vpa = vpaq->vpa;
> +	struct dtl_entry *record;
> +	int ret;
> +	double result, div;
> +	double boot_freq = vpaq->tb_freq;
> +	unsigned long long boot_tb = vpaq->boot_tb;
> +	unsigned long long diff;
> +	unsigned long long save;
> +
> +	while (1) {
> +		ret = powerpc_vpadtl_decode_all(vpaq);
> +		if (!ret) {
> +			pr_debug("All data in the queue has been processed.\n");
> +			return 1;
> +		}
> +
> +		/*
> +		 * Error is detected when decoding VPA PMU trace. Continue to
> +		 * the next trace data and find out more dtl entries.
> +		 */
> +		if (ret < 0)
> +			continue;
> +
> +		record = vpaq->dtl;
> +
> +		diff = be64_to_cpu(record->timebase) - boot_tb;
> +		div = diff / boot_freq;
> +		result = div;
> +		result = result * 1000000000;
> +		save = result;

It would be nicer for the time calculation to be in a separate function.
Also 'save' is an odd choice of variable name for a timestamp.

> +
> +		/* Update timestamp for the last record */
> +		if (save > vpaq->timestamp)
> +			vpaq->timestamp = save;
> +
> +		/*
> +		 * If the timestamp of the queue is later than timestamp of the
> +		 * coming perf event, bail out so can allow the perf event to
> +		 * be processed ahead.
> +		 */
> +		if (vpaq->timestamp >= *timestamp) {
> +			*timestamp = vpaq->timestamp;
> +			vpaq->pkt_len -= dtl_entry_size;
> +			vpaq->buf_len += dtl_entry_size;
> +			return 0;
> +		}
> +
> +		ret = powerpc_vpadtl_sample(record, vpa, save, vpaq->cpu);
> +		if (ret)
> +			continue;
> +	}
> +	return 0;
> +}
> +
> +/*
> + * For each of the PERF_RECORD_XX record, compare the timestamp
> + * of perf record with timestamp of top element in the auxtrace heap.
> + * Process the auxtrace queue if the timestamp of element from heap is
> + * lower than timestamp from entry in perf record.
> + *
> + * Update the timestamp of the auxtrace heap with the timestamp
> + * of last processed entry from the auxtrace buffer.
> + */
> +static int powerpc_vpadtl_process_queues(struct powerpc_vpadtl *vpa, u64 timestamp)
> +{
> +	unsigned int queue_nr;
> +	u64 ts;
> +	int ret;
> +
> +	while (1) {
> +		struct auxtrace_queue *queue;
> +		struct powerpc_vpadtl_queue *vpaq;
> +
> +		if (!vpa->heap.heap_cnt)
> +			return 0;
> +
> +		if (vpa->heap.heap_array[0].ordinal >= timestamp)
> +			return 0;
> +
> +		queue_nr = vpa->heap.heap_array[0].queue_nr;
> +		queue = &vpa->queues.queue_array[queue_nr];
> +		vpaq = queue->priv;
> +
> +		auxtrace_heap__pop(&vpa->heap);
> +
> +		if (vpa->heap.heap_cnt) {
> +			ts = vpa->heap.heap_array[0].ordinal + 1;
> +			if (ts > timestamp)
> +				ts = timestamp;
> +		} else
> +			ts = timestamp;

braces {} should be used on all arms of this statement

> +
> +		ret = powerpc_vpadtl_run_decoder(vpaq, &ts);
> +		if (ret < 0) {
> +			auxtrace_heap__add(&vpa->heap, queue_nr, ts);
> +			return ret;
> +		}
> +
> +		if (!ret) {
> +			ret = auxtrace_heap__add(&vpa->heap, queue_nr, ts);
> +			if (ret < 0)
> +				return ret;
> +		} else {
> +			vpaq->on_heap = false;
> +		}
> +	}
> +	return 0;
> +}
> +
>  static struct powerpc_vpadtl_queue *powerpc_vpadtl__alloc_queue(struct powerpc_vpadtl *vpa,
>  						unsigned int queue_nr)
>  {
> @@ -368,6 +547,8 @@ static int powerpc_vpadtl_process_event(struct perf_session *session __maybe_unu
>  		err = powerpc_vpadtl__update_queues(vpa);
>  		if (err)
>  			return err;
> +
> +		err = powerpc_vpadtl_process_queues(vpa, sample->time);
>  	}
>  
>  	return err;



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