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RE: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue

From "Liang, Kan" <kan.liang@intel.com>
Newsgroups linux.kernel
Subject RE: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue
Date 2017-02-23 17:20 +0100
Message-ID <te4hA-3BE-7@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References (7 earlier) <sJVBv-3XH-11@gated-at.bofh.it> <sKYGZ-3jJ-19@gated-at.bofh.it> <tdGyD-3dk-37@gated-at.bofh.it> <tdHbj-3Iw-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <te3bQ-2YE-31@gated-at.bofh.it>
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> 
> On Wed, 22 Feb 2017, Liang, Kan wrote:
> 
> > > So from what I understand, the issue is if we have an architecture
> > > with full- width counters and we trigger a x86_perf_event_update()
> > > when bit
> > > 47 is set?
> >
> > No. It related to the counter width. The number of bits we can use
> > should be
> > 1 bit less than the total width. Otherwise, there will be problem.
> > For big cores such as haswell, broadwell, skylake, the counter width is 48
> bit.
> > So we can only use 47 bits.
> > For Silvermont and KNL, the counter width is only 32 bit I think. So
> > we can only use 31 bits.
> 
> So on a machine with 48-bit counters I should just have a counting event
> that counts to somewhere above 0x8000 0000 0001 and it should show
> problems?
Yes

> Because I am unable to trigger this.
> 
> But I guess if anywhere along the line x86_perf_event_update() is run then
> you start over?
> 

Probably. It depends on the left.

> I noticed your original reproducer bound the event to a core, is that needed
> to trigger this?

I don't think it's needed. But I didn't try anything without bound.

> 
> Can it happen on a fixed event or only a genearl purpose event?

I think it can happens on both. Because fixed counter and GP counter have
same counter width and code path.

> 
> > > So if I have a test that runs in a loop for 2^48 retired
> > > instructions (which takes ~12 hours on a recent machine) and then
> > > reads the results, they might be wrong?
> >
> > It only needs several minutes to reproduce the issue on SLM/KNL.
> 
> Yes, but I only have machines with 48-bit counters.  So it's going to take
> 256 times as long as on a machine with 40-bit counters.
> 
> I have an assembly loop that can consistently generate 2 instructions/cycle
> (I'd be glad to hear suggestions for events that count faster) and on a
> broadwell-ep machine it still takes at least 7 hours or so to get up to
> 0x800000000000.

I think you may use MSR tool to write a big number into IA32_PMC0
during your test. 
The writable IA32_PMC0 alias is 0x4C1.


Thanks,
Kan

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Thread

Re: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue Vince Weaver <vincent.weaver@maine.edu> - 2017-02-22 16:00 +0100
  RE: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue "Liang, Kan" <kan.liang@intel.com> - 2017-02-22 16:40 +0100
    Re: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue Andi Kleen <ak@linux.intel.com> - 2017-02-22 20:20 +0100
    RE: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue Vince Weaver <vincent.weaver@maine.edu> - 2017-02-23 16:10 +0100
      RE: [PATCH] perf/x86: fix event counter update issue "Liang, Kan" <kan.liang@intel.com> - 2017-02-23 17:20 +0100

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