Date:   Mon, 15 Nov 2021 12:17:56 +0100
From:   Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
To:     Ravi Bangoria <ravi.bangoria@amd.com>
Cc:     kim.phillips@amd.com, mingo@redhat.com, acme@kernel.org,
        mark.rutland@arm.com, alexander.shishkin@linux.intel.com,
        jolsa@redhat.com, namhyung@kernel.org, tglx@linutronix.de,
        bp@alien8.de, dave.hansen@linux.intel.com, x86@kernel.org,
        hpa@zytor.com, linux-perf-users@vger.kernel.org,
        linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, santosh.shukla@amd.com,
        sandipan.das@amd.com
Subject: Re: [RFC] perf/amd/ibs: Move ibs pmus under perf_sw_context
Message-ID: <YZJB5FVHpzhwFMtZ@hirez.programming.kicks-ass.net>
References: <20211115094838.3359-1-ravi.bangoria@amd.com>
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On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 03:18:38PM +0530, Ravi Bangoria wrote:
> Ideally, a pmu which is present in each hw thread belongs to
> perf_hw_context, but perf_hw_context has limitation of allowing only
> one pmu (a core pmu) and thus other hw pmus need to use either sw or
> invalid context which limits pmu functionalities.
> 
> This is not a new problem. It has been raised in the past, for example,
> Arm big.LITTLE (same for Intel ADL) and s390 had this issue:
> 
>   Arm:  https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20160425175837.GB3141@leverpostej
>   s390: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20160606082124.GA30154@twins.programming.kicks-ass.net
> 
> Arm big.LITTLE (followed by Intel ADL) solved this by allowing multiple
> (heterogeneous) pmus inside perf_hw_context. It makes sense as they are
> still registering single pmu for each hw thread.
> 
> s390 solved it by moving 2nd hw pmu to perf_sw_context, though that 2nd
> hw pmu is count mode only, i.e. no sampling.
> 
> AMD IBS also has similar problem. IBS pmu is present in each hw thread.
> But because of perf_hw_context restriction, currently it belongs to
> perf_invalid_context and thus important functionalities like per-task
> profiling is not possible with IBS pmu. Moving it to perf_sw_context
> will:
>  - allow per-task monitoring
>  - allow cgroup wise profiling
>  - allow grouping of IBS with other pmu events
>  - disallow multiplexing
> 
> Please let me know if I missed any major benefit or drawback of
> perf_sw_context. I'm also not sure how easy it would be to lift
> perf_hw_context restriction and start allowing more pmus in it.
> 
> Suggestions?

Same as I do every time this comes up... this patch is still lingering
and wanting TLC:

  https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20181010104559.GO5728@hirez.programming.kicks-ass.net/