linux-kernel - [PATCH v4 4/4] tracing/Documentation: Add a section about backup instance

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Message-ID:  <176887139099.578403.7828440306150090568.stgit@mhiramat.tok.corp.google.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:09:51 +0900
From: "Masami Hiramatsu (Google)" <mhiramat@...nel.org>
To: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org>
Cc: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@...nel.org>,
	Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@...icios.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-trace-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH v4 4/4] tracing/Documentation: Add a section about backup instance

From: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@...nel.org>

Add a section about backup instance to the debugging.rst.

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@...nel.org>
---
 Documentation/trace/debugging.rst |   19 +++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/trace/debugging.rst b/Documentation/trace/debugging.rst
index 4d88c346fc38..73e2154bcf98 100644
--- a/Documentation/trace/debugging.rst
+++ b/Documentation/trace/debugging.rst
@@ -159,3 +159,22 @@ If setting it from the kernel command line, it is recommended to also
 disable tracing with the "traceoff" flag, and enable tracing after boot up.
 Otherwise the trace from the most recent boot will be mixed with the trace
 from the previous boot, and may make it confusing to read.
+
+Using a backup instance for keeping previous boot data
+------------------------------------------------------
+
+It is also possible to record trace data at system boot time by specifying
+events with the persistent ring buffer, but in this case the data before the
+reboot will be lost before it can be read. This problem can be solved by a
+backup instance. From the kernel command line::
+
+  reserve_mem=12M:4096:trace trace_instance=boot_map@...ce,sched,irq trace_instance=backup=boot_map
+
+When the boot up, the previous data in the`boot_map` is copied to "backup"
+instance, and the "sched:*" and "irq:*" events for current boot are traced on
+"boot_map". Thus user can read the previous boot data from the "backup" instance
+without stopping trace.
+
+Note that this "backup" instance is readonly, and will be removed automatically
+if you clear the trace data or read out all trace data from "trace_pipe" or
+"trace_pipe_raw" files.
\ No newline at end of file