Re: [Xen-devel] Re: [PATCH 3/5] x86/pvclock: add vsyscall implementation

Jeremy Fitzhardinge
2009-10-28T17:47:37Z

On 10/28/09 02:34, Avi Kivity wrote:
> On 10/28/2009 11:29 AM, Glauber Costa wrote:
>>> How can you reliably measure performance in a virtualized environment?
>>>
>> If we loop gettimeofday(), I would expect the vsyscall-based version
>> not to show
>> up in strace, right?
>>
>
> Much better to have an API for this. Life is hacky enough already.

My point is that if an app cares about property X then it should just
measure property X. The fact that gettimeofday is a vsyscall is just an
implementation detail that apps don't really care about. What they care
about is whether gettimeofday is fast or not.

If the environment has such unstable timing that the effect can't be
measured, then it is moot whether its a vsyscall or not (but in that
case its almost certainly better to use the standard API rather than
trying to roll your own timesource with rdtsc).

J