• S
    perf: Add generic taken branch sampling support · bce38cd5
    Stephane Eranian 提交于
    This patch adds the ability to sample taken branches to the
    perf_event interface.
    
    The ability to capture taken branches is very useful for all
    sorts of analysis. For instance, basic block profiling, call
    counts, statistical call graph.
    
    This new capability requires hardware assist and as such may
    not be available on all HW platforms. On Intel x86 it is
    implemented on top of the Last Branch Record (LBR) facility.
    
    To enable taken branches sampling, the PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK
    bit must be set in attr->sample_type.
    
    Sampled taken branches may be filtered by type and/or priv
    levels.
    
    The patch adds a new field, called branch_sample_type, to the
    perf_event_attr structure. It contains a bitmask of filters
    to apply to the sampled taken branches.
    
    Filters may be implemented in HW. If the HW filter does not exist
    or is not good enough, some arch may also implement a SW filter.
    
    The following generic filters are currently defined:
    - PERF_SAMPLE_USER
      only branches whose targets are at the user level
    
    - PERF_SAMPLE_KERNEL
      only branches whose targets are at the kernel level
    
    - PERF_SAMPLE_HV
      only branches whose targets are at the hypervisor level
    
    - PERF_SAMPLE_ANY
      any type of branches (subject to priv levels filters)
    
    - PERF_SAMPLE_ANY_CALL
      any call branches (may incl. syscall on some arch)
    
    - PERF_SAMPLE_ANY_RET
      any return branches (may incl. syscall returns on some arch)
    
    - PERF_SAMPLE_IND_CALL
      indirect call branches
    
    Obviously filter may be combined. The priv level bits are optional.
    If not provided, the priv level of the associated event are used. It
    is possible to collect branches at a priv level different from the
    associated event. Use of kernel, hv priv levels is subject to permissions
    and availability (hv).
    
    The number of taken branch records present in each sample may vary based
    on HW, the type of sampled branches, the executed code. Therefore
    each sample contains the number of taken branches it contains.
    Signed-off-by: NStephane Eranian <eranian@google.com>
    Signed-off-by: NPeter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@chello.nl>
    Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/1328826068-11713-2-git-send-email-eranian@google.comSigned-off-by: NIngo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>
    bce38cd5
perf_event.h 34.2 KB