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authorIngo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>2008-12-31 08:31:57 +0100
committerIngo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>2008-12-31 08:31:57 +0100
commita9de18eb761f7c1c860964b2e5addc1a35c7e861 (patch)
tree886e75fdfd09690cd262ca69cb7f5d1d42b48602 /Documentation/markers.txt
parentb2aaf8f74cdc84a9182f6cabf198b7763bcb9d40 (diff)
parent6a94cb73064c952255336cc57731904174b2c58f (diff)
Merge branch 'linus' into stackprotector
Conflicts: arch/x86/include/asm/pda.h kernel/fork.c
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/markers.txt')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/markers.txt29
1 files changed, 25 insertions, 4 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/markers.txt b/Documentation/markers.txt
index d9f50a19fa0..d2b3d0e91b2 100644
--- a/Documentation/markers.txt
+++ b/Documentation/markers.txt
@@ -50,10 +50,17 @@ Connecting a function (probe) to a marker is done by providing a probe (function
to call) for the specific marker through marker_probe_register() and can be
activated by calling marker_arm(). Marker deactivation can be done by calling
marker_disarm() as many times as marker_arm() has been called. Removing a probe
-is done through marker_probe_unregister(); it will disarm the probe and make
-sure there is no caller left using the probe when it returns. Probe removal is
-preempt-safe because preemption is disabled around the probe call. See the
-"Probe example" section below for a sample probe module.
+is done through marker_probe_unregister(); it will disarm the probe.
+
+marker_synchronize_unregister() must be called between probe unregistration and
+the first occurrence of
+- the end of module exit function,
+ to make sure there is no caller left using the probe;
+- the free of any resource used by the probes,
+ to make sure the probes wont be accessing invalid data.
+This, and the fact that preemption is disabled around the probe call, make sure
+that probe removal and module unload are safe. See the "Probe example" section
+below for a sample probe module.
The marker mechanism supports inserting multiple instances of the same marker.
Markers can be put in inline functions, inlined static functions, and
@@ -68,6 +75,20 @@ a printk warning which identifies the inconsistency:
"Format mismatch for probe probe_name (format), marker (format)"
+Another way to use markers is to simply define the marker without generating any
+function call to actually call into the marker. This is useful in combination
+with tracepoint probes in a scheme like this :
+
+void probe_tracepoint_name(unsigned int arg1, struct task_struct *tsk);
+
+DEFINE_MARKER_TP(marker_eventname, tracepoint_name, probe_tracepoint_name,
+ "arg1 %u pid %d");
+
+notrace void probe_tracepoint_name(unsigned int arg1, struct task_struct *tsk)
+{
+ struct marker *marker = &GET_MARKER(kernel_irq_entry);
+ /* write data to trace buffers ... */
+}
* Probe / marker example