Re: [patch] x86: unify/rewrite SMP TSC sync code

[Wink Saville <wink@saville.com>]

Ingo Molnar wrote:
> * Andi Kleen <ak@suse.de> wrote:
> 
> a new CPU is added. If the TSC isnt sync on SMP then it quickly gets 
> pretty messy, and we should rather take a look at /why/ these apps are 
> using RDTSC.
> 
> 	Ingo
> -

I use RDTSC in get a cheap method of measuring time. What other choices are
there for a low overhead high frequency time source?

By low overhead a kernel call is way to expensive, I want to minimally impact
the code and have many of these calls through out the code. One of the
ways I use it is to instrument multi-threaded applications and then use
the TSC to compare when actions occur between threads. i.e. I use it as a
time stamp counter and neither precision or accuracy is too important.
On the other hand the more precise and accurate the better:)

Cheers,

Wink Saville