[PATCH] perf/core: fast breakpoint modification via _IOC_MODIFY_BREAKPOINT.

Milind Chabbi
2017-11-06T22:11:06Z

Problem and motivation: Once a breakpoint perf event (PERF_TYPE_BREAKPOINT)
is created, there is no flexibility to change the breakpoint type
(bp_type), breakpoint address (bp_addr), or breakpoint length (bp_len). The
only option is to close the perf event and configure a new breakpoint
event. This inflexibility has a significant performance overhead. For
example, sampling-based, lightweight performance profilers (and also
concurrency bug detection tools), monitor different addresses for a short
duration using PERF_TYPE_BREAKPOINT and change the address (bp_addr) to
another address or change the kind of breakpoint (bp_type) from "write" to
a "read" or vice-versa or change the length (bp_len) of the address being
monitored. The cost of these modifications is prohibitive since it involves
unmapping the circular buffer associated with the perf event, closing the
perf event, opening another perf event and mmaping another circular buffer.

Solution: The new ioctl flag for perf events,
PERF_EVENT_IOC_MODIFY_BREAKPOINT, introduced in this patch takes a pointer
to a struct perf_event_attr as an argument to update an old breakpoint
event with new address, type, and size. This facility allows retaining a
previous mmaped perf events ring buffer and avoids having to close and
reopen another perf event. The patch replicates some of its functionality
of modify_user_hw_breakpoint() in kernel/events/hw_breakpoint.c.
modify_user_hw_breakpoint cannot be called directed since
perf_event_ctx_lock() is already held in _perf_ioctl().

Evidence: Experiments show that the baseline (not able to modify an already
created breakpoint) costs an order of magnitude (~10x) more than the
suggested optimization (having the ability to dynamically modifying a
configured breakpoint via ioctl). When the breakpoints typically do not
trap, the speedup due to the suggested optimization is ~10x; even when the
breakpoints always trap, the speedup is ~4x due to the suggested
optimization.

Testing: tests posted at
https://github.com/linux-contrib/perf_event_modify_bp demonstrate the
performance significance of this patch. Tests also check the functional
correctness of the patch.

Signed-off-by: Milind Chabbi <chabbi.milind@gmail.com>
---
include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h | 2 ++
kernel/events/core.c | 46 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
kernel/events/hw_breakpoint.c | 2 +-
kernel/events/internal.h | 1 +
tools/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h | 2 ++
5 files changed, 52 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h b/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h
index 362493a..d458214 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h
@@ -433,6 +433,8 @@ struct perf_event_attr {
#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_ID _IOR('$', 7, __u64 *)
#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_SET_BPF _IOW('$', 8, __u32)
#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_PAUSE_OUTPUT _IOW('$', 9, __u32)
+#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_MODIFY_BREAKPOINT \
+ _IOW('$', 10, struct perf_event_attr *)

enum perf_event_ioc_flags {
PERF_IOC_FLAG_GROUP = 1U << 0,
diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 9d93db8..85718da 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -2746,6 +2746,41 @@ int perf_event_refresh(struct perf_event *event, int refresh)
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(perf_event_refresh);

+static int _perf_event_modify_breakpoint(struct perf_event *bp,
+ struct perf_event_attr *attr)
+{
+ u64 old_addr = bp->attr.bp_addr;
+ u64 old_len = bp->attr.bp_len;
+ int old_type = bp->attr.bp_type;
+ int err = 0;
+
+ _perf_event_disable(bp);
+
+ bp->attr.bp_addr = attr->bp_addr;
+ bp->attr.bp_type = attr->bp_type;
+ bp->attr.bp_len = attr->bp_len;
+
+ if (attr->disabled)
+ goto end;
+
+ err = validate_hw_breakpoint(bp);
+ if (!err) {
+ _perf_event_enable(bp);
+ } else {
+ bp->attr.bp_addr = old_addr;
+ bp->attr.bp_type = old_type;
+ bp->attr.bp_len = old_len;
+ if (!bp->attr.disabled)
+ _perf_event_enable(bp);
+
+ return err;
+ }
+end:
+ bp->attr.disabled = attr->disabled;
+ return 0;
+}
+
+
static void ctx_sched_out(struct perf_event_context *ctx,
struct perf_cpu_context *cpuctx,
enum event_type_t event_type)
@@ -4731,6 +4766,8 @@ static int perf_event_set_output(struct perf_event *event,
struct perf_event *output_event);
static int perf_event_set_filter(struct perf_event *event, void __user *arg);
static int perf_event_set_bpf_prog(struct perf_event *event, u32 prog_fd);
+static int perf_copy_attr(struct perf_event_attr __user *uattr,
+ struct perf_event_attr *attr);

static long _perf_ioctl(struct perf_event *event, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
{
@@ -4800,6 +4837,15 @@ static long _perf_ioctl(struct perf_event *event, unsigned int cmd, unsigned lon
rcu_read_unlock();
return 0;
}
+ case PERF_EVENT_IOC_MODIFY_BREAKPOINT: {
+ struct perf_event_attr new_attr;
+ int err = perf_copy_attr((struct perf_event_attr __user *)arg,
+ &new_attr);
+
+ if (err)
+ return err;
+ return _perf_event_modify_breakpoint(event, &new_attr);
+ }
default:
return -ENOTTY;
}
diff --git a/kernel/events/hw_breakpoint.c b/kernel/events/hw_breakpoint.c
index 3f8cb1e..fde596c 100644
--- a/kernel/events/hw_breakpoint.c
+++ b/kernel/events/hw_breakpoint.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ int dbg_release_bp_slot(struct perf_event *bp)
return 0;
}

-static int validate_hw_breakpoint(struct perf_event *bp)
+int validate_hw_breakpoint(struct perf_event *bp)
{
int ret;

diff --git a/kernel/events/internal.h b/kernel/events/internal.h
index 09b1537..acb2b8b 100644
--- a/kernel/events/internal.h
+++ b/kernel/events/internal.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ extern int rb_alloc_aux(struct ring_buffer *rb, struct perf_event *event,
extern void rb_free_aux(struct ring_buffer *rb);
extern struct ring_buffer *ring_buffer_get(struct perf_event *event);
extern void ring_buffer_put(struct ring_buffer *rb);
+extern int validate_hw_breakpoint(struct perf_event *bp);

static inline bool rb_has_aux(struct ring_buffer *rb)
{
diff --git a/tools/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h b/tools/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h
index 140ae63..5c1dcd3 100644
--- a/tools/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h
+++ b/tools/include/uapi/linux/perf_event.h
@@ -432,6 +432,8 @@ struct perf_event_attr {
#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_ID _IOR('$', 7, __u64 *)
#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_SET_BPF _IOW('$', 8, __u32)
#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_PAUSE_OUTPUT _IOW('$', 9, __u32)
+#define PERF_EVENT_IOC_MODIFY_BREAKPOINT \
+ _IOW('$', 10, struct perf_event_attr *)

enum perf_event_ioc_flags {
PERF_IOC_FLAG_GROUP = 1U << 0,
--
1.8.3.1