Liu, Jiang wrote:
> Hi Aubrey,
>       Thanks for your reminder.
>       After reading relative code, I have some questions about DTrace
> prober trigger point in deep C path. On SPARC and non-deep-C idle path,
> DTrace probers have been placed as closer as possible to the point that
> CPU enters into/exits from hardware idle state. On deep C state path,
> the prober trigger points have been pulled out a little. I heard there were
> some discussions about prober trigger points but I missed those
> discussions. Could anybody give some hints about those discussions?
>   

What does PowerTop measure and report on other operating systems?
Does PowerTop's C-state data include the software latenct to enter/exit 
C-state(s)
on other Operating Systems?  My current thought is Solaris should report 
the same
measurement as other OSs.  :-)

Does LatencyTop show C-state entry/exit software-latency?


>       Second, with new patchset, Dtrace prober will be triggered later 
> on entering side and earlier on exiting side. On entering side, the difference
> is small, about ten machine instructions. On exiting side, the difference is
> bigger because it may need to reprogram the LAPIC timer. I have no 
> concrete idea about the real difference on exiting side, do you have any
> data about that?
>   

The Deep C-state exit side was optimized for speed because the CPU 
likely has
real work to do.  C-state exit is lock-less and only does a few memory 
writes
and 1 write to the LAPIC Timer.  LAPIC write performance was measured while
doing the C-state work.   I do not remember the exact write time.  IIRC 
LAPIC
access is faster than an un-cached memory write.

We put back support for Intel's Always Running APIC Timer on Friday.  
Solaris
does not re-initialize the LAPIC Timer on future Intel Processors when 
exiting
Deep C-states.  :-)

Please send me a pointer to the latest webrev or a patch. 

Thank you,
Bill


>       I'm not familiar with powertop implementation, could anybody give
> us some estimation about the impacts that above changes will have on
> powertop?
>       Thanks!
>
> Li, Aubrey <> wrote:
>   
>> Liu, Jiang wrote:
>>
>>     
>>>     5) Removed cpu_dtrace_idle_probe() and moved dtrace probe for
>>> idle event into CPU idle framework as built-in callback.
>>>       
>> The behavior is changed here. Previously we did the idle time to be
>> all the time the CPU was not executing threads, and now it became
>> just the time CPU was in a C-state. PowerTOP report probably has a
>> noticeable difference. Because previously PowerTop would report time
>> spent doing C-state setup+cleanup as part of idle time (not executing
>> other threads). 
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> -Aubrey
>>     
>
> Liu Jiang (Gerry)
> OpenSolaris, OTC, SSG, Intel
>   


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