linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2] perf/x86/amd: Make HW_CACHE_REFERENCES and HW_CACHE

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Date:   Wed, 24 Aug 2016 16:55:14 +0200
From:   Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
To:     Matt Fleming <matt@...eblueprint.co.uk>
Cc:     Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
        stable@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] perf/x86/amd: Make HW_CACHE_REFERENCES and
 HW_CACHE_MISSES measure L2

On Wed, Aug 24, 2016 at 02:12:08PM +0100, Matt Fleming wrote:
> While the Intel PMU monitors the LLC when perf enables the
> HW_CACHE_REFERENCES and HW_CACHE_MISSES events, these events monitor
> L1 instruction cache fetches (0x0080) and instruction cache misses
> (0x0081) on the AMD PMU.
> 
> This is extremely confusing when monitoring the same workload across
> Intel and AMD machines, since parameters like,
> 
>   $ perf stat -e cache-references,cache-misses
> 
> measure completely different things.
> 
> Instead, make the AMD PMU measure instruction/data cache and TLB fill
> requests to the L2 and instruction/data cache and TLB misses in the L2
> when HW_CACHE_REFERENCES and HW_CACHE_MISSES are enabled,
> respectively. That way the events measure unified caches on both
> platforms.

I'm still not really sure about this: we can't really compare L3 to L2
access patterns - it is almost as comparing apples to oranges. Can we
use the Intel L2 events instead?

I mean, this makes much more sense to me because:

* you *actually* compare the same cache levels
* you have L2 *everywhere* vs L3 (and L4) which are sometimes not present on
  thin clients

People who want LLC can enable them with -e additionally...

Hmmm.

-- 
Regards/Gruss,
    Boris.

ECO tip #101: Trim your mails when you reply.
--