Linux kernel mirror (for testing) git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
kernel os linux

selftests/bpf: Improve reliability of test_perf_branches_no_hw()

Currently, test_perf_branches_no_hw() relies on the busy loop within
test_perf_branches_common() being slow enough to allow at least one
perf event sample tick to occur before starting to tear down the
backing perf event BPF program. With a relatively small fixed
iteration count of 1,000,000, this is not guaranteed on modern fast
CPUs, resulting in the test run to subsequently fail with the
following:

bpf_testmod.ko is already unloaded.
Loading bpf_testmod.ko...
Successfully loaded bpf_testmod.ko.
test_perf_branches_common:PASS:test_perf_branches_load 0 nsec
test_perf_branches_common:PASS:attach_perf_event 0 nsec
test_perf_branches_common:PASS:set_affinity 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:output not valid 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:read_branches_size 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:read_branches_stack 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:read_branches_stack 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:read_branches_global 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:read_branches_global 0 nsec
check_good_sample:PASS:read_branches_size 0 nsec
test_perf_branches_no_hw:PASS:perf_event_open 0 nsec
test_perf_branches_common:PASS:test_perf_branches_load 0 nsec
test_perf_branches_common:PASS:attach_perf_event 0 nsec
test_perf_branches_common:PASS:set_affinity 0 nsec
check_bad_sample:FAIL:output not valid no valid sample from prog
Summary: 0/1 PASSED, 0 SKIPPED, 1 FAILED
Successfully unloaded bpf_testmod.ko.

On a modern CPU (i.e. one with a 3.5 GHz clock rate), executing 1
million increments of a volatile integer can take significantly less
than 1 millisecond. If the spin loop and detachment of the perf event
BPF program elapses before the first 1 ms sampling interval elapses,
the perf event will never end up firing. Fix this by bumping the loop
iteration counter a little within test_perf_branches_common(), along
with ensuring adding another loop termination condition which is
directly influenced by the backing perf event BPF program
executing. Notably, a concious decision was made to not adjust the
sample_freq value as that is just not a reliable way to go about
fixing the problem. It effectively still leaves the race window open.

Fixes: 67306f84ca78c ("selftests/bpf: Add bpf_read_branch_records() selftest")
Signed-off-by: Matt Bobrowski <mattbobrowski@google.com>
Reviewed-by: Jiri Olsa <jolsa@kernel.org>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20251119143540.2911424-1-mattbobrowski@google.com
Signed-off-by: Alexei Starovoitov <ast@kernel.org>

authored by

Matt Bobrowski and committed by
Alexei Starovoitov
ae24fc8a 27746aaf

+17 -2
+14 -2
tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/perf_branches.c
··· 15 15 int pbe_size = sizeof(struct perf_branch_entry); 16 16 int duration = 0; 17 17 18 + if (CHECK(!skel->bss->run_cnt, "invalid run_cnt", 19 + "checked sample validity before prog run")) 20 + return; 21 + 18 22 if (CHECK(!skel->bss->valid, "output not valid", 19 23 "no valid sample from prog")) 20 24 return; ··· 48 44 int required_size = skel->bss->required_size_out; 49 45 int written_stack = skel->bss->written_stack_out; 50 46 int duration = 0; 47 + 48 + if (CHECK(!skel->bss->run_cnt, "invalid run_cnt", 49 + "checked sample validity before prog run")) 50 + return; 51 51 52 52 if (CHECK(!skel->bss->valid, "output not valid", 53 53 "no valid sample from prog")) ··· 91 83 err = pthread_setaffinity_np(pthread_self(), sizeof(cpu_set), &cpu_set); 92 84 if (CHECK(err, "set_affinity", "cpu #0, err %d\n", err)) 93 85 goto out_destroy; 94 - /* spin the loop for a while (random high number) */ 95 - for (i = 0; i < 1000000; ++i) 86 + 87 + /* Spin the loop for a while by using a high iteration count, and by 88 + * checking whether the specific run count marker has been explicitly 89 + * incremented at least once by the backing perf_event BPF program. 90 + */ 91 + for (i = 0; i < 100000000 && !*(volatile int *)&skel->bss->run_cnt; ++i) 96 92 ++j; 97 93 98 94 test_perf_branches__detach(skel);
+3
tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_perf_branches.c
··· 8 8 #include <bpf/bpf_tracing.h> 9 9 10 10 int valid = 0; 11 + int run_cnt = 0; 11 12 int required_size_out = 0; 12 13 int written_stack_out = 0; 13 14 int written_global_out = 0; ··· 24 23 { 25 24 __u64 entries[4 * 3] = {0}; 26 25 int required_size, written_stack, written_global; 26 + 27 + ++run_cnt; 27 28 28 29 /* write to stack */ 29 30 written_stack = bpf_read_branch_records(ctx, entries, sizeof(entries), 0);