From: Ian Rogers <irogers@google.com>
To: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>,
Ingo Molnar <mingo@redhat.com>,
Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>,
Namhyung Kim <namhyung@kernel.org>, Jiri Olsa <jolsa@kernel.org>,
Ian Rogers <irogers@google.com>,
Adrian Hunter <adrian.hunter@intel.com>,
James Clark <james.clark@linaro.org>,
linux-perf-users@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
Alireza Haghdoost <haghdoost@uber.com>
Subject: [PATCH v1 0/7] perf symbol: Reference counting, flat array storage, and LRU shrinking
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:52:30 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260928075237.3055101-1-irogers@google.com> (raw)
This series modernizes struct symbol memory management and backing storage in
tools/perf to support reference counting (DECLARE_RC_STRUCT(symbol)) and
periodic LRU memory shrinking during long or large profiling sessions:
1. Field accessors (Patch 1): Introduces inline getters/setters for
struct symbol fields across tools/perf in preparation for wrapping
struct symbol with DECLARE_RC_STRUCT(symbol).
2. Remove negative-offset private allocations (Patch 2): Replaces
symbol_conf.priv_size and symbol__priv() negative-offset allocations in
util/annotate.c and util/db-export.c with hashmaps keyed by symbol
pointer (struct annotated_symbol protected by an rw_semaphore, and
sym_db_ids on struct db_export).
3. Flat sorted array backing storage (Patch 3): Replaces the dual
address-sorted and name-sorted red-black trees (rb_node) in struct dso
with a struct symbols container backed by dynamically sorted flat arrays
protected by struct rw_semaphore (util/rwsem.h) with Clang thread-safety
annotations. Saves 48 bytes per struct symbol (two rb_nodes) and provides
cache-friendly binary search (bsearch) and callback-based iteration.
4. Reference counting and DECLARE_RC_STRUCT(symbol) (Patch 4): Wraps
struct symbol with DECLARE_RC_STRUCT(symbol) and adds refcount_t refcnt
along with symbol__get(), symbol__put(), and symbol__zput(). Lookup
functions return a counted reference acquired under symbols->lock, and
lifetime holders (addr_location, map_symbol, hist_entry, call_path,
block_info, disasm_line, thread_stack, db_export, etc.) properly
manage symbol references.
5. LRU memory shrinking (Patch 5): Adds an accessed bit to struct dso
and implements symbols__shrink(), dso__shrink_symbols(), dsos__shrink(),
machine__shrink(), and machines__shrink(). Unreferenced symbols (refcnt == 1)
in cold DSOs are reclaimed, and shrunken DSOs transparently reload on demand
via dso__load() while preserving live symbols and their RC_STRUCT(symbol)
identity.
6. Periodic session shrinking (Patch 6): Hooks machines__shrink() into
perf_session event processing so long-running sessions periodically reclaim
cold symbols and DSOs.
7. Unit tests (Patch 7): Adds unit tests in tools/perf/tests/symbols.c
covering symbol reference counting, symbols__shrink() retention of active
symbols, dsos__shrink() two-pass LRU clock behavior, and on-demand reload
preserving live symbol identity.
Ian Rogers (7):
perf symbol: Add accessor functions for struct symbol fields
perf symbol: Remove symbol_conf.priv_size and negative-offset
allocations
perf symbol: Switch backing storage from rbtree to struct symbols
array
perf symbol: Add reference counting and DECLARE_RC_STRUCT(symbol)
perf symbol: Add LRU memory shrinking for symbols, DSOs, and machines
perf session: Periodically shrink symbols and DSOs during event
processing
perf test symbols: Add tests for symbol and DSO LRU shrinking
.../arch/powerpc/util/skip-callchain-idx.c | 2 +-
tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/sym-handling.c | 40 +-
tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c | 15 +-
tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c | 14 -
tools/perf/builtin-diff.c | 5 +-
tools/perf/builtin-kallsyms.c | 10 +-
tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c | 66 +-
tools/perf/builtin-kwork.c | 4 +-
tools/perf/builtin-lock.c | 27 +-
tools/perf/builtin-mem.c | 2 +-
tools/perf/builtin-report.c | 14 -
tools/perf/builtin-sched.c | 6 +-
tools/perf/builtin-script.c | 18 +-
tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c | 2 +-
tools/perf/builtin-top.c | 29 +-
tools/perf/builtin-trace.c | 12 +-
tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c | 1 -
tools/perf/tests/dlfilter-test.c | 12 +-
tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c | 2 +-
tools/perf/tests/hists_common.c | 4 +-
tools/perf/tests/hists_cumulate.c | 8 +-
tools/perf/tests/hists_filter.c | 10 +-
tools/perf/tests/hists_link.c | 16 +-
tools/perf/tests/hists_output.c | 9 +-
tools/perf/tests/kallsyms-split.c | 5 +-
tools/perf/tests/pe-file-parsing.c | 1 +
tools/perf/tests/symbols.c | 289 +++++-
tools/perf/tests/vmlinux-kallsyms.c | 191 ++--
tools/perf/ui/browsers/annotate.c | 11 +-
tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c | 17 +-
tools/perf/ui/browsers/map.c | 87 +-
tools/perf/ui/gtk/annotate.c | 7 +-
tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c | 6 +-
tools/perf/util/addr_location.c | 4 +
.../perf/util/annotate-arch/annotate-alpha.c | 2 +-
.../util/annotate-arch/annotate-loongarch.c | 8 +-
tools/perf/util/annotate-arch/annotate-s390.c | 2 +-
tools/perf/util/annotate-arch/annotate-x86.c | 14 +-
tools/perf/util/annotate-data.c | 14 +-
tools/perf/util/annotate.c | 211 ++++-
tools/perf/util/annotate.h | 6 +-
tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c | 111 ++-
tools/perf/util/block-info.c | 13 +-
tools/perf/util/bpf_lock_contention.c | 39 +-
tools/perf/util/c2c-function.c | 25 +-
tools/perf/util/call-path.c | 15 +-
tools/perf/util/callchain.c | 19 +-
tools/perf/util/capstone.c | 21 +-
tools/perf/util/data-convert-json.c | 4 +-
tools/perf/util/db-export.c | 76 +-
tools/perf/util/db-export.h | 6 +
tools/perf/util/debug.c | 3 +-
tools/perf/util/disasm.c | 57 +-
tools/perf/util/dlfilter.c | 12 +-
tools/perf/util/dso.c | 236 +++--
tools/perf/util/dso.h | 85 +-
tools/perf/util/dsos.c | 100 +++
tools/perf/util/dsos.h | 12 +-
tools/perf/util/event.c | 12 +-
tools/perf/util/evsel_fprintf.c | 2 +-
tools/perf/util/hist.c | 30 +-
tools/perf/util/intel-pt.c | 74 +-
tools/perf/util/libbfd.c | 5 +-
tools/perf/util/libdw.c | 5 +-
tools/perf/util/llvm.c | 6 +-
tools/perf/util/lock-contention.c | 8 +-
tools/perf/util/machine.c | 143 ++-
tools/perf/util/machine.h | 2 +
tools/perf/util/map.c | 53 +-
tools/perf/util/map.h | 18 +-
tools/perf/util/map_symbol.c | 4 +-
tools/perf/util/maps.c | 3 +-
tools/perf/util/probe-event.c | 135 +--
tools/perf/util/python.c | 20 +-
.../util/scripting-engines/trace-event-perl.c | 8 +-
.../scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c | 38 +-
tools/perf/util/session.c | 31 +
tools/perf/util/session.h | 13 +
tools/perf/util/sort.c | 44 +-
tools/perf/util/srcline.c | 19 +-
tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c | 22 +-
tools/perf/util/symbol.c | 845 ++++++++++++------
tools/perf/util/symbol.h | 203 ++++-
tools/perf/util/symbol_conf.h | 1 -
tools/perf/util/symbol_fprintf.c | 14 +-
tools/perf/util/thread-stack.c | 18 +-
tools/perf/util/threads.c | 17 +-
tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.c | 4 +-
tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c | 2 +-
89 files changed, 2644 insertions(+), 1192 deletions(-)
--
2.56.0.rc1.315.gc6ed9934b7-goog
next reply other threads:[~2026-09-28 7:52 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 17+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-09-28 7:52 Ian Rogers [this message]
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 1/7] perf symbol: Add accessor functions for struct symbol fields Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 2/7] perf symbol: Remove symbol_conf.priv_size and negative-offset allocations Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 3/7] perf symbol: Switch backing storage from rbtree to struct symbols array Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 4/7] perf symbol: Add reference counting and DECLARE_RC_STRUCT(symbol) Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 5/7] perf symbol: Add LRU memory shrinking for symbols, DSOs, and machines Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 6/7] perf session: Periodically shrink symbols and DSOs during event processing Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 7:52 ` [PATCH v1 7/7] perf test symbols: Add tests for symbol and DSO LRU shrinking Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 15:37 ` [PATCH v1 0/7] perf symbol: Reference counting, flat array storage, and " Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 19:45 ` Alireza Haghdoost
2026-09-28 20:55 ` Ian Rogers
2026-09-28 21:51 ` Namhyung Kim
2026-09-28 22:04 ` Ian Rogers
2026-09-29 0:12 ` Alireza Haghdoost
2026-09-29 18:09 ` Namhyung Kim
2026-09-29 21:24 ` Alireza Haghdoost
2026-09-29 18:06 ` Namhyung Kim
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=20260928075237.3055101-1-irogers@google.com \
--to=irogers@google.com \
--cc=acme@kernel.org \
--cc=adrian.hunter@intel.com \
--cc=haghdoost@uber.com \
--cc=james.clark@linaro.org \
--cc=jolsa@kernel.org \
--cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=linux-perf-users@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=mingo@redhat.com \
--cc=namhyung@kernel.org \
--cc=peterz@infradead.org \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is an external index of several public inboxes,
see mirroring instructions on how to clone and mirror
all data and code used by this external index.