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diff --git a/Documentation/tracepoints.txt b/Documentation/tracepoints.txt
index 5d354e167494..6f0a044f5b5e 100644
--- a/Documentation/tracepoints.txt
+++ b/Documentation/tracepoints.txt
@@ -3,28 +3,30 @@
3 Mathieu Desnoyers 3 Mathieu Desnoyers
4 4
5 5
6This document introduces Linux Kernel Tracepoints and their use. It provides 6This document introduces Linux Kernel Tracepoints and their use. It
7examples of how to insert tracepoints in the kernel and connect probe functions 7provides examples of how to insert tracepoints in the kernel and
8to them and provides some examples of probe functions. 8connect probe functions to them and provides some examples of probe
9functions.
9 10
10 11
11* Purpose of tracepoints 12* Purpose of tracepoints
12 13
13A tracepoint placed in code provides a hook to call a function (probe) that you 14A tracepoint placed in code provides a hook to call a function (probe)
14can provide at runtime. A tracepoint can be "on" (a probe is connected to it) or 15that you can provide at runtime. A tracepoint can be "on" (a probe is
15"off" (no probe is attached). When a tracepoint is "off" it has no effect, 16connected to it) or "off" (no probe is attached). When a tracepoint is
16except for adding a tiny time penalty (checking a condition for a branch) and 17"off" it has no effect, except for adding a tiny time penalty
17space penalty (adding a few bytes for the function call at the end of the 18(checking a condition for a branch) and space penalty (adding a few
18instrumented function and adds a data structure in a separate section). When a 19bytes for the function call at the end of the instrumented function
19tracepoint is "on", the function you provide is called each time the tracepoint 20and adds a data structure in a separate section). When a tracepoint
20is executed, in the execution context of the caller. When the function provided 21is "on", the function you provide is called each time the tracepoint
21ends its execution, it returns to the caller (continuing from the tracepoint 22is executed, in the execution context of the caller. When the function
22site). 23provided ends its execution, it returns to the caller (continuing from
24the tracepoint site).
23 25
24You can put tracepoints at important locations in the code. They are 26You can put tracepoints at important locations in the code. They are
25lightweight hooks that can pass an arbitrary number of parameters, 27lightweight hooks that can pass an arbitrary number of parameters,
26which prototypes are described in a tracepoint declaration placed in a header 28which prototypes are described in a tracepoint declaration placed in a
27file. 29header file.
28 30
29They can be used for tracing and performance accounting. 31They can be used for tracing and performance accounting.
30 32
@@ -42,14 +44,16 @@ In include/trace/subsys.h :
42 44
43#include <linux/tracepoint.h> 45#include <linux/tracepoint.h>
44 46
45DEFINE_TRACE(subsys_eventname, 47DECLARE_TRACE(subsys_eventname,
46 TPPTOTO(int firstarg, struct task_struct *p), 48 TPPROTO(int firstarg, struct task_struct *p),
47 TPARGS(firstarg, p)); 49 TPARGS(firstarg, p));
48 50
49In subsys/file.c (where the tracing statement must be added) : 51In subsys/file.c (where the tracing statement must be added) :
50 52
51#include <trace/subsys.h> 53#include <trace/subsys.h>
52 54
55DEFINE_TRACE(subsys_eventname);
56
53void somefct(void) 57void somefct(void)
54{ 58{
55 ... 59 ...
@@ -61,31 +65,41 @@ Where :
61- subsys_eventname is an identifier unique to your event 65- subsys_eventname is an identifier unique to your event
62 - subsys is the name of your subsystem. 66 - subsys is the name of your subsystem.
63 - eventname is the name of the event to trace. 67 - eventname is the name of the event to trace.
64- TPPTOTO(int firstarg, struct task_struct *p) is the prototype of the function
65 called by this tracepoint.
66- TPARGS(firstarg, p) are the parameters names, same as found in the prototype.
67 68
68Connecting a function (probe) to a tracepoint is done by providing a probe 69- TPPROTO(int firstarg, struct task_struct *p) is the prototype of the
69(function to call) for the specific tracepoint through 70 function called by this tracepoint.
70register_trace_subsys_eventname(). Removing a probe is done through
71unregister_trace_subsys_eventname(); it will remove the probe sure there is no
72caller left using the probe when it returns. Probe removal is preempt-safe
73because preemption is disabled around the probe call. See the "Probe example"
74section below for a sample probe module.
75
76The tracepoint mechanism supports inserting multiple instances of the same
77tracepoint, but a single definition must be made of a given tracepoint name over
78all the kernel to make sure no type conflict will occur. Name mangling of the
79tracepoints is done using the prototypes to make sure typing is correct.
80Verification of probe type correctness is done at the registration site by the
81compiler. Tracepoints can be put in inline functions, inlined static functions,
82and unrolled loops as well as regular functions.
83
84The naming scheme "subsys_event" is suggested here as a convention intended
85to limit collisions. Tracepoint names are global to the kernel: they are
86considered as being the same whether they are in the core kernel image or in
87modules.
88 71
72- TPARGS(firstarg, p) are the parameters names, same as found in the
73 prototype.
74
75Connecting a function (probe) to a tracepoint is done by providing a
76probe (function to call) for the specific tracepoint through
77register_trace_subsys_eventname(). Removing a probe is done through
78unregister_trace_subsys_eventname(); it will remove the probe.
79
80tracepoint_synchronize_unregister() must be called before the end of
81the module exit function to make sure there is no caller left using
82the probe. This, and the fact that preemption is disabled around the
83probe call, make sure that probe removal and module unload are safe.
84See the "Probe example" section below for a sample probe module.
85
86The tracepoint mechanism supports inserting multiple instances of the
87same tracepoint, but a single definition must be made of a given
88tracepoint name over all the kernel to make sure no type conflict will
89occur. Name mangling of the tracepoints is done using the prototypes
90to make sure typing is correct. Verification of probe type correctness
91is done at the registration site by the compiler. Tracepoints can be
92put in inline functions, inlined static functions, and unrolled loops
93as well as regular functions.
94
95The naming scheme "subsys_event" is suggested here as a convention
96intended to limit collisions. Tracepoint names are global to the
97kernel: they are considered as being the same whether they are in the
98core kernel image or in modules.
99
100If the tracepoint has to be used in kernel modules, an
101EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL_GPL() or EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL() can be
102used to export the defined tracepoints.
89 103
90* Probe / tracepoint example 104* Probe / tracepoint example
91 105