[PATCH 1/3 v2] tracepoints: Add helper to test if tracepoint is enabled in a header

Steven Rostedt
2020-09-25T21:18:30Z

From: "Steven Rostedt (VMware)" <rostedt@goodmis.org>

As tracepoints are discouraged from being added in a header because it can
cause side effects if other tracepoints are in headers, as well as bloat the
kernel as the trace_<tracepoint>() function is not a small inline, the common
workaround is to add a function call that calls a wrapper function in a
C file that then calls the tracepoint. But as function calls add overhead,
this function should only be called when the tracepoint in question is
enabled. To get around this overhead, a static_branch can be used to only
have the tracepoint wrapper get called when the tracepoint is enabled.

Add a tracepoint_enabled(tp) macro that gets passed the name of the
tracepoint, and this becomes a static_branch that is enabled when the
tracepoint is enabled and is a nop when the tracepoint is disabled.

Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>
---
Documentation/trace/tracepoints.rst | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++++
include/linux/tracepoint-defs.h | 34 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 61 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/trace/tracepoints.rst b/Documentation/trace/tracepoints.rst
index 6e3ce3bf3593..68579ebd1e4c 100644
--- a/Documentation/trace/tracepoints.rst
+++ b/Documentation/trace/tracepoints.rst
@@ -146,3 +146,30 @@ with jump labels and avoid conditional branches.
define tracepoints. Check http://lwn.net/Articles/379903,
http://lwn.net/Articles/381064 and http://lwn.net/Articles/383362
for a series of articles with more details.
+
+If you require calling a tracepoint from a header file, it is not
+recommended to call one directly or to use the trace_<tracepoint>_enabled()
+function call, as tracepoints in header files can have side effects if a
+header is included from a file that has CREATE_TRACE_POINTS set, as
+well as the trace_<tracepoint>() is not that small of an inline
+and can bloat the kernel if used by other inlined functions. Instead,
+include tracepoint-defs.h and use tracepoint_enabled().
+
+In a C file::
+
+ void do_trace_foo_bar_wrapper(args)
+ {
+ trace_foo_bar(args);
+ }
+
+In the header file::
+
+ DECLEARE_TRACEPOINT(foo_bar);
+
+ static inline void some_inline_function()
+ {
+ [..]
+ if (tracepoint_enabled(foo_bar))
+ do_trace_foo_bar_wrapper(args);
+ [..]
+ }
diff --git a/include/linux/tracepoint-defs.h b/include/linux/tracepoint-defs.h
index b29950a19205..60625973faaf 100644
--- a/include/linux/tracepoint-defs.h
+++ b/include/linux/tracepoint-defs.h
@@ -48,4 +48,38 @@ struct bpf_raw_event_map {
u32 writable_size;
} __aligned(32);

+/*
+ * If a tracepoint needs to be called from a header file, it is not
+ * recommended to call it directly, as tracepoints in header files
+ * may cause side-effects and bloat the kernel. Instead, use
+ * tracepoint_enabled() to test if the tracepoint is enabled, then if
+ * it is, call a wrapper function defined in a C file that will then
+ * call the tracepoint.
+ *
+ * For "trace_foo_bar()", you would need to create a wrapper function
+ * in a C file to call trace_foo_bar():
+ * void do_trace_foo_bar(args) { trace_foo_bar(args); }
+ * Then in the header file, declare the tracepoint:
+ * DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(foo_bar);
+ * And call your wrapper:
+ * static inline void some_inlined_function() {
+ * [..]
+ * if (tracepoint_enabled(foo_bar))
+ * do_trace_foo_bar(args);
+ * [..]
+ * }
+ *
+ * Note: tracepoint_enabled(foo_bar) is equivalent to trace_foo_bar_enabled()
+ * but is safe to have in headers, where trace_foo_bar_enabled() is not.
+ */
+#define DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(tp) \
+ extern struct tracepoint __tracepoint_##tp
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_TRACEPOINTS
+# define tracepoint_enabled(tp) \
+ static_key_false(&(__tracepoint_##tp).key)
+#else
+# define tracepoint_enabled(tracepoint) false
+#endif
+
#endif
--
2.28.0