From 94d529a3255ce65496e932173d7f13e801170597 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Steven Rostedt Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:12:02 -0500 Subject: ftrace: Document that multiple function_graph tracing may have different times The function graph tracer now calculates the calltime internally and for each instance. If there are two instances that are running function graph tracer and are tracing the same functions, the timings of the length of those functions may be slightly different: # trace-cmd record -B foo -p function_graph -B bar -p function_graph sleep 5 # trace-cmd report [..] bar: sleep-981 [000] ...1. 1101.109027: funcgraph_entry: 0.764 us | mutex_unlock(); (ret=0xffff8abcc256c300) foo: sleep-981 [000] ...1. 1101.109028: funcgraph_entry: 0.748 us | mutex_unlock(); (ret=0xffff8abcc256c300) bar: sleep-981 [000] ..... 1101.109029: funcgraph_exit: 2.456 us | } (ret=0xffff8abcc256c300) foo: sleep-981 [000] ..... 1101.109029: funcgraph_exit: 2.403 us | } (ret=0xffff8abcc256c300) bar: sleep-981 [000] d..1. 1101.109031: funcgraph_entry: 0.844 us | fpregs_assert_state_consistent(); (ret=0x0) foo: sleep-981 [000] d..1. 1101.109032: funcgraph_entry: 0.803 us | fpregs_assert_state_consistent(); (ret=0x0) Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250114101806.b2778cb01f34f5be9d23ad98@kernel.org/ Cc: Mark Rutland Cc: Mathieu Desnoyers Suggested-by: Masami Hiramatsu Link: https://lore.kernel.org/20250114101202.02e7bc68@gandalf.local.home Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (Google) --- Documentation/trace/ftrace.rst | 6 ++++++ 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+) diff --git a/Documentation/trace/ftrace.rst b/Documentation/trace/ftrace.rst index 272464bb7c60..2b74f96d09d5 100644 --- a/Documentation/trace/ftrace.rst +++ b/Documentation/trace/ftrace.rst @@ -810,6 +810,12 @@ Here is the list of current tracers that may be configured. to draw a graph of function calls similar to C code source. + Note that the function graph calculates the timings of when the + function starts and returns internally and for each instance. If + there are two instances that run function graph tracer and traces + the same functions, the length of the timings may be slightly off as + each read the timestamp separately and not at the same time. + "blk" The block tracer. The tracer used by the blktrace user -- cgit v1.2.3