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tnf_kernel_probes(4)

DESCRIPTION
USAGE
SEE ALSO

The set of probes (trace instrumentation points) available in the standard kernel. The probes log trace data to a kernel trace buffer in Trace Normal Form (TNF). Kernel probes are controlled by prex(1). A snapshot of the kernel trace buffer can be made using tnfxtract(1) and examined using tnfdump(1).

Each probe has a name and is associated with a set of symbolic keys, or categories. These are used to select and control probes from prex(1). A probe that is enabled for tracing generates a TNF record, called an event record. An event record contains two common members and may contain other probe-specific data members.

Common Members

tnf_probe_event    tag
tnf_time_delta     time_delta

tag

Encodes TNF references to two other records:

tag: Describes the layout of the event record.
schedule: Identifies the writing thread and also contains a 64-bit base time in nanoseconds.

time_delta

A 32-bit time offset from the base time; the sum of the two times is the actual time of the event.

Threads

thread_create

tnf_kthread_id    tid
tnf_pid           pid
tnf_symbol        start_pc

Thread creation event.

tid: The thread identifier for the new thread.
pid: The process identifier for the new thread.
start_pc: The kernel address of its start routine.

thread_state

tnf_kthread_id    tid
tnf_microstate    state

Thread microstate transition events.

tid

Optional; if it is absent, the event is for the writing thread, otherwise the event is for the specified thread.

state

Indicates the thread state:

Running in user mode.
Running in system mode.
Asleep waiting for a user-mode lock.
Asleep on a kernel object.
Runnable (waiting for a cpu).
Stopped.

The values of this member are defined in <sys/msacct.h>. Note that to reduce trace output, transitions between the system and user microstates that are induced by system calls are not traced. This information is implicit in the system call entry and exit events.

thread_exit

Thread termination event for writing thread. This probe has no data members other than the common members.

Scheduling

thread_queue

tnf_kthread_id    tid
tnf_cpuid         cpuid
tnf_long          priority
tnf_ulong         queue_length

Thread scheduling events. These are triggered when a runnable thread is placed on a dispatch queue.

cpuid: Specifies the cpu to which the queue is attached.
priority: The (global) dispatch priority of the thread.
queue_length: The current length of the cpu's dispatch queue.

Blocking

thread_block

tnf_opaque     reason
tnf_symbols    stack

Thread blockage event. This probe captures a partial stack backtrace when the current thread blocks.

reason: The address of the object on which the thread is blocking.
symbols: References a TNF array of kernel addresses representing the PCs on the stack at the time the thread blocks.

System Calls

syscall_start

tnf_sysnum    sysnum

System call entry event.

sysnum: The system call number. The writing thread implicitly enters the system microstate with this event.

syscall_end

tnf_long    rval1
tnf_long    rval2
tnf_long    errno

System call exit event.

rval1 and rval2: The two return values of the system call
errno: The error return.

The writing thread implicitly enters the user microstate with this event.

Page Faults

address_fault

tnf_opaque      address
tnf_fault_type  fault_type
tnf_seg_access  access

Address-space fault event.

address: Gives the faulting virtual address.
fault_type: Gives the fault type: invalid page, protection fault, software requested locking or unlocking.
access: Gives the desired access protection: read, write, execute or create. The values for these two members are defined in <vm/seg_enum.h>.

major_fault

tnf_opaque    vnode
tnf_offset    offset

Major page fault event. The faulting page is mapped to the file given by the vnode member, at the given offset into the file. (The faulting virtual address is in the most recent address_fault event for the writing thread.)

anon_private

tnf_opaque    address

Copy-on-write page fault event.

address: The virtual address at which the new page is mapped.

anon_zero

tnf_opaque    address

Zero-fill page fault event.

address: The virtual address at which the new page is mapped.

page_unmap

tnf_opaque    vnode
tnf_offset    offset

Page unmapping event. This probe marks the unmapping of a file system page from the system.

vnode and offset: Identifies the file and offset of the page being unmapped.

Pageins and Pageouts

pagein

tnf_opaque    vnode
tnf_offset    offset
tnf_size      size

Pagein start event. This event signals the initiation of pagein I/O.

vnodeandoffset: Identifyies the file and offset to be paged in.
size: Specifies the number of bytes to be paged in.

pageout

tnf_opaque    vnode
tnf_ulong     pages_pageout
tnf_ulong     pages_freed
tnf_ulong     pages_reclaimed

Pageout completion event. This event signals the completion of pageout I/O.

vnode: Identifies the file of the pageout request.
pages_pageout: The number of pages written out.
pages_freed: The number of pages freed after being written out.
pages_reclaimed: The number of pages reclaimed after being written out.

Page Daemon (Page Stealer)

pageout_scan_start

tnf_ulong    pages_free
tnf_ulong    pages_needed

Page daemon scan start event. This event signals the beginning of one iteration of the page daemon.

pages_free: The number of free pages in the system.
pages_needed: The number of pages desired free.

pageout_scan_end

tnf_ulong    pages_free
tnf_ulong    pages_scanned

Page daemon scan end event. This event signals the end of one iteration of the page daemon.

pages_free: The number of free pages in the system.
pages_scanned: The number of pages examined by the page daemon. (Potentially more pages will be freed when any queued pageout requests complete.)

Swapper

swapout_process

tnf_pid      pid
tnf_ulong    page_count

Address space swapout event. This event marks the swapping out of a process address space.

pid: Identifies the process.
page_count: Reports the number of pages either freed or queued for pageout.

swapout_lwp

tnf_pid         pid
tnf_lwpid       lwpid
tnf_kthread_id  tid
tnf_ulong       page_count

Light-weight process swapout event. This event marks the swapping out of an LWP and its stack.

pid: The LWP's process identifier
lwpid: The LWP identifier
tid member: The LWP's kernel thread identifier.
page_count: The number of pages swapped out.

swapin_lwp

tnf_pid         pid
tnf_lwpid       lwpid
tnf_kthread_id  tid
tnf_ulong       page_count

Light-weight process swapin event. This event marks the swapping in of an LWP and its stack.

pid: The LWP's process identifier.
lwpid: The LWP identifier.
tid: The LWP's kernel thread identifier.
page_count: The number of pages swapped in.

Local I/O

strategy

tnf_device      device
tnf_diskaddr    block
tnf_size        size
tnf_opaque      buf
tnf_bioflags    flags

Block I/O strategy event. This event marks a call to the strategy(9E) function of a block device driver.

device: Contains the major and minor numbers of the device.
block: The logical block number to be accessed on the device.
size: The size of the I/O request.
buf: The kernel address of the buf(9S) structure associated with the transfer.
flags: The buf(9S) flags associated with the transfer.

biodone

tnf_device     device
tnf_diskaddr   block
tnf_opaque     buf

Buffered I/O completion event. This event marks calls to the biodone(9F) function.

device: Contains the major and minor numbers of the device.
block: The logical block number accessed on the device.
buf: The kernel address of the buf(9S) structure associated with the transfer.

physio_start

tnf_device     device
tnf_offset     offset
tnf_size       size
tnf_bioflags   rw

Raw I/O start event. This event marks entry into the physio(9F) fufnction which performs unbuffered I/O.

device: Contains the major and minor numbers of the device of the transfer.
offset: The logical offset on the device for the transfer.
size: The number of bytes to be transferred.
rw: The direction of the transfer: read or write (see buf(9S)).

physio_end

tnf_device    device

Raw I/O end event. This event marks exit from the physio(9F) fufnction.

device: The major and minor numbers of the device of the transfer.

USAGE

Use the prex utility to control kernel probes. The standard prex commands to list and manipulate probes are available to you, along with commands to set up and manage kernel tracing.

Kernel probes write trace records into a kernel trace buffer. You must copy the buffer into a TNF file for post-processing; use the tnfxtract utility for this.

You use the tnfdump utility to examine a kernel trace file. This is exactly the same as examining a user-level trace file.

The steps you typically follow to take a kernel trace are:

Become superuser (su).
Allocate a kernel trace buffer of the desired size (prex).
Select the probes you want to trace and enable (prex).
Turn kernel tracing on (prex).
Run your application.
Turn kernel tracing off (prex).
Extract the kernel trace buffer (tnfxtract).
Disable all probes (prex).
Deallocate the kernel trace buffer (prex).
Examine the trace file (tnfdump).

A convenient way to follow these steps is to use two shell windows; run an interactive prex session in one, and run your application and tnfxtract in the other.

NAME

DESCRIPTION