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| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/kprobes.txt | 207 |
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diff --git a/Documentation/kprobes.txt b/Documentation/kprobes.txt index 053037a1fe6d..2f9115c0ae62 100644 --- a/Documentation/kprobes.txt +++ b/Documentation/kprobes.txt @@ -1,6 +1,7 @@ Title : Kernel Probes (Kprobes) Authors : Jim Keniston <jkenisto@us.ibm.com> - : Prasanna S Panchamukhi <prasanna@in.ibm.com> + : Prasanna S Panchamukhi <prasanna.panchamukhi@gmail.com> + : Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@redhat.com> CONTENTS @@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ CONTENTS 9. Jprobes Example 10. Kretprobes Example Appendix A: The kprobes debugfs interface +Appendix B: The kprobes sysctl interface 1. Concepts: Kprobes, Jprobes, Return Probes @@ -42,13 +44,13 @@ registration/unregistration of a group of *probes. These functions can speed up unregistration process when you have to unregister a lot of probes at once. -The next three subsections explain how the different types of -probes work. They explain certain things that you'll need to -know in order to make the best use of Kprobes -- e.g., the -difference between a pre_handler and a post_handler, and how -to use the maxactive and nmissed fields of a kretprobe. But -if you're in a hurry to start using Kprobes, you can skip ahead -to section 2. +The next four subsections explain how the different types of +probes work and how jump optimization works. They explain certain +things that you'll need to know in order to make the best use of +Kprobes -- e.g., the difference between a pre_handler and +a post_handler, and how to use the maxactive and nmissed fields of +a kretprobe. But if you're in a hurry to start using Kprobes, you +can skip ahead to section 2. 1.1 How Does a Kprobe Work? @@ -161,13 +163,125 @@ In case probed function is entered but there is no kretprobe_instance object available, then in addition to incrementing the nmissed count, the user entry_handler invocation is also skipped. +1.4 How Does Jump Optimization Work? + +If you configured your kernel with CONFIG_OPTPROBES=y (currently +this option is supported on x86/x86-64, non-preemptive kernel) and +the "debug.kprobes_optimization" kernel parameter is set to 1 (see +sysctl(8)), Kprobes tries to reduce probe-hit overhead by using a jump +instruction instead of a breakpoint instruction at each probepoint. + +1.4.1 Init a Kprobe + +When a probe is registered, before attempting this optimization, +Kprobes inserts an ordinary, breakpoint-based kprobe at the specified +address. So, even if it's not possible to optimize this particular +probepoint, there'll be a probe there. + +1.4.2 Safety Check + +Before optimizing a probe, Kprobes performs the following safety checks: + +- Kprobes verifies that the region that will be replaced by the jump +instruction (the "optimized region") lies entirely within one function. +(A jump instruction is multiple bytes, and so may overlay multiple +instructions.) + +- Kprobes analyzes the entire function and verifies that there is no +jump into the optimized region. Specifically: + - the function contains no indirect jump; + - the function contains no instruction that causes an exception (since + the fixup code triggered by the exception could jump back into the + optimized region -- Kprobes checks the exception tables to verify this); + and + - there is no near jump to the optimized region (other than to the first + byte). + +- For each instruction in the optimized region, Kprobes verifies that +the instruction can be executed out of line. + +1.4.3 Preparing Detour Buffer + +Next, Kprobes prepares a "detour" buffer, which contains the following +instruction sequence: +- code to push the CPU's registers (emulating a breakpoint trap) +- a call to the trampoline code which calls user's probe handlers. +- code to restore registers +- the instructions from the optimized region +- a jump back to the original execution path. + +1.4.4 Pre-optimization + +After preparing the detour buffer, Kprobes verifies that none of the +following situations exist: +- The probe has either a break_handler (i.e., it's a jprobe) or a +post_handler. +- Other instructions in the optimized region are probed. +- The probe is disabled. +In any of the above cases, Kprobes won't start optimizing the probe. +Since these are temporary situations, Kprobes tries to start +optimizing it again if the situation is changed. + +If the kprobe can be optimized, Kprobes enqueues the kprobe to an +optimizing list, and kicks the kprobe-optimizer workqueue to optimize +it. If the to-be-optimized probepoint is hit before being optimized, +Kprobes returns control to the original instruction path by setting +the CPU's instruction pointer to the copied code in the detour buffer +-- thus at least avoiding the single-step. + +1.4.5 Optimization + +The Kprobe-optimizer doesn't insert the jump instruction immediately; +rather, it calls synchronize_sched() for safety first, because it's +possible for a CPU to be interrupted in the middle of executing the +optimized region(*). As you know, synchronize_sched() can ensure +that all interruptions that were active when synchronize_sched() +was called are done, but only if CONFIG_PREEMPT=n. So, this version +of kprobe optimization supports only kernels with CONFIG_PREEMPT=n.(**) + +After that, the Kprobe-optimizer calls stop_machine() to replace +the optimized region with a jump instruction to the detour buffer, +using text_poke_smp(). + +1.4.6 Unoptimization + +When an optimized kprobe is unregistered, disabled, or blocked by +another kprobe, it will be unoptimized. If this happens before +the optimization is complete, the kprobe is just dequeued from the +optimized list. If the optimization has been done, the jump is +replaced with the original code (except for an int3 breakpoint in +the first byte) by using text_poke_smp(). + +(*)Please imagine that the 2nd instruction is interrupted and then +the optimizer replaces the 2nd instruction with the jump *address* +while the interrupt handler is running. When the interrupt +returns to original address, there is no valid instruction, +and it causes an unexpected result. + +(**)This optimization-safety checking may be replaced with the +stop-machine method that ksplice uses for supporting a CONFIG_PREEMPT=y +kernel. + +NOTE for geeks: +The jump optimization changes the kprobe's pre_handler behavior. +Without optimization, the pre_handler can change the kernel's execution +path by changing regs->ip and returning 1. However, when the probe +is optimized, that modification is ignored. Thus, if you want to +tweak the kernel's execution path, you need to suppress optimization, +using one of the following techniques: +- Specify an empty function for the kprobe's post_handler or break_handler. + or +- Config CONFIG_OPTPROBES=n. + or +- Execute 'sysctl -w debug.kprobes_optimization=n' + 2. Architectures Supported Kprobes, jprobes, and return probes are implemented on the following architectures: -- i386 -- x86_64 (AMD-64, EM64T) +- i386 (Supports jump optimization) +- x86_64 (AMD-64, EM64T) (Supports jump optimization) - ppc64 - ia64 (Does not support probes on instruction slot1.) - sparc64 (Return probes not yet implemented.) @@ -193,6 +307,10 @@ it useful to "Compile the kernel with debug info" (CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO), so you can use "objdump -d -l vmlinux" to see the source-to-object code mapping. +If you want to reduce probing overhead, set "Kprobes jump optimization +support" (CONFIG_OPTPROBES) to "y". You can find this option under the +"Kprobes" line. + 4. API Reference The Kprobes API includes a "register" function and an "unregister" @@ -389,7 +507,10 @@ the probe which has been registered. Kprobes allows multiple probes at the same address. Currently, however, there cannot be multiple jprobes on the same function at -the same time. +the same time. Also, a probepoint for which there is a jprobe or +a post_handler cannot be optimized. So if you install a jprobe, +or a kprobe with a post_handler, at an optimized probepoint, the +probepoint will be unoptimized automatically. In general, you can install a probe anywhere in the kernel. In particular, you can probe interrupt handlers. Known exceptions @@ -453,6 +574,38 @@ reason, Kprobes doesn't support return probes (or kprobes or jprobes) on the x86_64 version of __switch_to(); the registration functions return -EINVAL. +On x86/x86-64, since the Jump Optimization of Kprobes modifies +instructions widely, there are some limitations to optimization. To +explain it, we introduce some terminology. Imagine a 3-instruction +sequence consisting of a two 2-byte instructions and one 3-byte +instruction. + + IA + | +[-2][-1][0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7] + [ins1][ins2][ ins3 ] + [<- DCR ->] + [<- JTPR ->] + +ins1: 1st Instruction +ins2: 2nd Instruction +ins3: 3rd Instruction +IA: Insertion Address +JTPR: Jump Target Prohibition Region +DCR: Detoured Code Region + +The instructions in DCR are copied to the out-of-line buffer +of the kprobe, because the bytes in DCR are replaced by +a 5-byte jump instruction. So there are several limitations. + +a) The instructions in DCR must be relocatable. +b) The instructions in DCR must not include a call instruction. +c) JTPR must not be targeted by any jump or call instruction. +d) DCR must not straddle the border betweeen functions. + +Anyway, these limitations are checked by the in-kernel instruction +decoder, so you don't need to worry about that. + 6. Probe Overhead On a typical CPU in use in 2005, a kprobe hit takes 0.5 to 1.0 @@ -476,6 +629,19 @@ k = 0.49 usec; j = 0.76; r = 0.80; kr = 0.82; jr = 1.07 ppc64: POWER5 (gr), 1656 MHz (SMT disabled, 1 virtual CPU per physical CPU) k = 0.77 usec; j = 1.31; r = 1.26; kr = 1.45; jr = 1.99 +6.1 Optimized Probe Overhead + +Typically, an optimized kprobe hit takes 0.07 to 0.1 microseconds to +process. Here are sample overhead figures (in usec) for x86 architectures. +k = unoptimized kprobe, b = boosted (single-step skipped), o = optimized kprobe, +r = unoptimized kretprobe, rb = boosted kretprobe, ro = optimized kretprobe. + +i386: Intel(R) Xeon(R) E5410, 2.33GHz, 4656.90 bogomips +k = 0.80 usec; b = 0.33; o = 0.05; r = 1.10; rb = 0.61; ro = 0.33 + +x86-64: Intel(R) Xeon(R) E5410, 2.33GHz, 4656.90 bogomips +k = 0.99 usec; b = 0.43; o = 0.06; r = 1.24; rb = 0.68; ro = 0.30 + 7. TODO a. SystemTap (http://sourceware.org/systemtap): Provides a simplified @@ -523,7 +689,8 @@ is also specified. Following columns show probe status. If the probe is on a virtual address that is no longer valid (module init sections, module virtual addresses that correspond to modules that've been unloaded), such probes are marked with [GONE]. If the probe is temporarily disabled, -such probes are marked with [DISABLED]. +such probes are marked with [DISABLED]. If the probe is optimized, it is +marked with [OPTIMIZED]. /sys/kernel/debug/kprobes/enabled: Turn kprobes ON/OFF forcibly. @@ -533,3 +700,19 @@ registered probes will be disarmed, till such time a "1" is echoed to this file. Note that this knob just disarms and arms all kprobes and doesn't change each probe's disabling state. This means that disabled kprobes (marked [DISABLED]) will be not enabled if you turn ON all kprobes by this knob. + + +Appendix B: The kprobes sysctl interface + +/proc/sys/debug/kprobes-optimization: Turn kprobes optimization ON/OFF. + +When CONFIG_OPTPROBES=y, this sysctl interface appears and it provides +a knob to globally and forcibly turn jump optimization (see section +1.4) ON or OFF. By default, jump optimization is allowed (ON). +If you echo "0" to this file or set "debug.kprobes_optimization" to +0 via sysctl, all optimized probes will be unoptimized, and any new +probes registered after that will not be optimized. Note that this +knob *changes* the optimized state. This means that optimized probes +(marked [OPTIMIZED]) will be unoptimized ([OPTIMIZED] tag will be +removed). If the knob is turned on, they will be optimized again. + |