tracing: Add timestamp_mode trace file

Add a new option flag indicating whether or not the ring buffer is in
'absolute timestamp' mode.

Currently this is only set/unset by hist triggers that make use of a
common_timestamp.  As such, there's no reason to make this writeable
for users - its purpose is only to allow users to determine
unequivocally whether or not the ring buffer is in that mode (although
absolute timestamps can coexist with the normal delta timestamps, when
the ring buffer is in absolute mode, timestamps written while absolute
mode is in effect take up more space in the buffer, and are not as
efficient).

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/e8aa7b1cde1cf15014e66545d06ac6ef2ebba456.1516069914.git.tom.zanussi@linux.intel.com

Signed-off-by: Tom Zanussi <tom.zanussi@linux.intel.com>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>

1 files changed, 24 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/trace/ftrace.txt b/Documentation/trace/ftrace.txt
index d4601df6e72e..54213e5c23f6 100644
--- a/Documentation/trace/ftrace.txt
+++ b/Documentation/trace/ftrace.txt
@@ -539,6 +539,30 @@ of ftrace. Here is a list of some of the key files:
 
         See events.txt for more information.
 
+  timestamp_mode:
+
+        Certain tracers may change the timestamp mode used when
+        logging trace events into the event buffer.  Events with
+        different modes can coexist within a buffer but the mode in
+        effect when an event is logged determines which timestamp mode
+        is used for that event.  The default timestamp mode is
+        'delta'.
+
+        Usual timestamp modes for tracing:
+
+          # cat timestamp_mode
+          [delta] absolute
+
+          The timestamp mode with the square brackets around it is the
+          one in effect.
+
+          delta: Default timestamp mode - timestamp is a delta against
+                 a per-buffer timestamp.
+
+          absolute: The timestamp is a full timestamp, not a delta
+                 against some other value.  As such it takes up more
+                 space and is less efficient.
+
   hwlat_detector:
 
         Directory for the Hardware Latency Detector.