linux-kernel - [tip:perf/stat] perf events: Add generic front-end and back-end stalled cycle event definitions

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Message-ID: <tip-7y40wib8n000io7hjpn1dsrm@git.kernel.org>
Date:	Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:45:59 GMT
From:	tip-bot for Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
To:	linux-tip-commits@...r.kernel.org
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, acme@...hat.com, hpa@...or.com,
	mingo@...hat.com, a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl, fweisbec@...il.com,
	tglx@...utronix.de, mingo@...e.hu
Subject: [tip:perf/stat] perf events: Add generic front-end and back-end stalled cycle event definitions

Commit-ID:  8f62242246351b5a4bc0c1f00c0c7003edea128a
Gitweb:     http://git.kernel.org/tip/8f62242246351b5a4bc0c1f00c0c7003edea128a
Author:     Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
AuthorDate: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:19:47 +0200
Committer:  Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
CommitDate: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:23:58 +0200

perf events: Add generic front-end and back-end stalled cycle event definitions

Add two generic hardware events: front-end and back-end stalled cycles.

These events measure conditions when the CPU is executing code but its
capabilities are not fully utilized. Understanding such situations and
analyzing them is an important sub-task of code optimization workflows.

Both events limit performance: most front end stalls tend to be caused
by branch misprediction or instruction fetch cachemisses, backend
stalls can be caused by various resource shortages or inefficient
instruction scheduling.

Front-end stalls are the more important ones: code cannot run fast
if the instruction stream is not being kept up.

An over-utilized back-end can cause front-end stalls and thus
has to be kept an eye on as well.

The exact composition is very program logic and instruction mix
dependent.

We use the terms 'stall', 'front-end' and 'back-end' loosely and
try to use the best available events from specific CPUs that
approximate these concepts.

Cc: Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl>
Cc: Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@...hat.com>
Cc: Frederic Weisbecker <fweisbec@...il.com>
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/n/tip-7y40wib8n000io7hjpn1dsrm@git.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
---
 arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c |    2 +-
 include/linux/perf_event.h             |    3 ++-
 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c
index 1ea9422..393085b 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event_intel.c
@@ -1414,7 +1414,7 @@ static __init int intel_pmu_init(void)
 		x86_pmu.extra_regs = intel_nehalem_extra_regs;
 
 		/* Install the stalled-cycles event: UOPS_EXECUTED.CORE_ACTIVE_CYCLES,c=1,i=1 */
-		intel_perfmon_event_map[PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES] = 0x1803fb1;
+		intel_perfmon_event_map[PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_BACKEND] = 0x1803fb1;
 
 		if (ebx & 0x40) {
 			/*
diff --git a/include/linux/perf_event.h b/include/linux/perf_event.h
index ac636dd..4e2d7ae 100644
--- a/include/linux/perf_event.h
+++ b/include/linux/perf_event.h
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ enum perf_hw_id {
 	PERF_COUNT_HW_BRANCH_INSTRUCTIONS	= 4,
 	PERF_COUNT_HW_BRANCH_MISSES		= 5,
 	PERF_COUNT_HW_BUS_CYCLES		= 6,
-	PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES		= 7,
+	PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_FRONTEND	= 7,
+	PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_BACKEND	= 8,
 
 	PERF_COUNT_HW_MAX,			/* non-ABI */
 };
--
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