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-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/RCU/torture.txt | 122 |
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diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/torture.txt b/Documentation/RCU/torture.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..e4c38152f7f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/RCU/torture.txt @@ -0,0 +1,122 @@ +RCU Torture Test Operation + + +CONFIG_RCU_TORTURE_TEST + +The CONFIG_RCU_TORTURE_TEST config option is available for all RCU +implementations. It creates an rcutorture kernel module that can +be loaded to run a torture test. The test periodically outputs +status messages via printk(), which can be examined via the dmesg +command (perhaps grepping for "rcutorture"). The test is started +when the module is loaded, and stops when the module is unloaded. + +However, actually setting this config option to "y" results in the system +running the test immediately upon boot, and ending only when the system +is taken down. Normally, one will instead want to build the system +with CONFIG_RCU_TORTURE_TEST=m and to use modprobe and rmmod to control +the test, perhaps using a script similar to the one shown at the end of +this document. Note that you will need CONFIG_MODULE_UNLOAD in order +to be able to end the test. + + +MODULE PARAMETERS + +This module has the following parameters: + +nreaders This is the number of RCU reading threads supported. + The default is twice the number of CPUs. Why twice? + To properly exercise RCU implementations with preemptible + read-side critical sections. + +stat_interval The number of seconds between output of torture + statistics (via printk()). Regardless of the interval, + statistics are printed when the module is unloaded. + Setting the interval to zero causes the statistics to + be printed -only- when the module is unloaded, and this + is the default. + +verbose Enable debug printk()s. Default is disabled. + + +OUTPUT + +The statistics output is as follows: + + rcutorture: --- Start of test: nreaders=16 stat_interval=0 verbose=0 + rcutorture: rtc: 0000000000000000 ver: 1916 tfle: 0 rta: 1916 rtaf: 0 rtf: 1915 + rcutorture: Reader Pipe: 1466408 9747 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + rcutorture: Reader Batch: 1464477 11678 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + rcutorture: Free-Block Circulation: 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 0 + rcutorture: --- End of test + +The command "dmesg | grep rcutorture:" will extract this information on +most systems. On more esoteric configurations, it may be necessary to +use other commands to access the output of the printk()s used by +the RCU torture test. The printk()s use KERN_ALERT, so they should +be evident. ;-) + +The entries are as follows: + +o "ggp": The number of counter flips (or batches) since boot. + +o "rtc": The hexadecimal address of the structure currently visible + to readers. + +o "ver": The number of times since boot that the rcutw writer task + has changed the structure visible to readers. + +o "tfle": If non-zero, indicates that the "torture freelist" + containing structure to be placed into the "rtc" area is empty. + This condition is important, since it can fool you into thinking + that RCU is working when it is not. :-/ + +o "rta": Number of structures allocated from the torture freelist. + +o "rtaf": Number of allocations from the torture freelist that have + failed due to the list being empty. + +o "rtf": Number of frees into the torture freelist. + +o "Reader Pipe": Histogram of "ages" of structures seen by readers. + If any entries past the first two are non-zero, RCU is broken. + And rcutorture prints the error flag string "!!!" to make sure + you notice. The age of a newly allocated structure is zero, + it becomes one when removed from reader visibility, and is + incremented once per grace period subsequently -- and is freed + after passing through (RCU_TORTURE_PIPE_LEN-2) grace periods. + + The output displayed above was taken from a correctly working + RCU. If you want to see what it looks like when broken, break + it yourself. ;-) + +o "Reader Batch": Another histogram of "ages" of structures seen + by readers, but in terms of counter flips (or batches) rather + than in terms of grace periods. The legal number of non-zero + entries is again two. The reason for this separate view is + that it is easier to get the third entry to show up in the + "Reader Batch" list than in the "Reader Pipe" list. + +o "Free-Block Circulation": Shows the number of torture structures + that have reached a given point in the pipeline. The first element + should closely correspond to the number of structures allocated, + the second to the number that have been removed from reader view, + and all but the last remaining to the corresponding number of + passes through a grace period. The last entry should be zero, + as it is only incremented if a torture structure's counter + somehow gets incremented farther than it should. + + +USAGE + +The following script may be used to torture RCU: + + #!/bin/sh + + modprobe rcutorture + sleep 100 + rmmod rcutorture + dmesg | grep rcutorture: + +The output can be manually inspected for the error flag of "!!!". +One could of course create a more elaborate script that automatically +checked for such errors. |