From: compudj Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:40:56 +0000 (+0000) Subject: update X-Git-Tag: v0.12.20~268 X-Git-Url: https://git.lttng.org./?a=commitdiff_plain;h=d4c85b6e5cb22061ee1f81efde2587db7c9152f9;p=lttv.git update git-svn-id: http://ltt.polymtl.ca/svn@3221 04897980-b3bd-0310-b5e0-8ef037075253 --- diff --git a/trunk/lttv/doc/developer/ust.txt b/trunk/lttv/doc/developer/ust.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000..8812dee4 --- /dev/null +++ b/trunk/lttv/doc/developer/ust.txt @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +LTTng User-space Tracing Design + +A user-space application may contain static instrumentation, and be linked with +an associated runtime library, in order to produce an execution trace. User +space Tracepoints and Markers, analogous to Kernel Tracepoints and Markers, +define program locations and arguments provided. Probes may then be connected to +each Tracepoint and Marker before they are activated. The probes will typically +call LTTng user-space event writing functions. + +When the instrumented application starts, a pipe is opened to allow external +tracing control, asynchronous notification is requested when commands arrive in +the pipe, and a signal handler is installed for SIGIO. Every time a SIGIO signal +is received, the runtime library checks for commands received on the external +tracing control pipe. The recognized commands are: + +- list the available Markers and Tracepoints; +- dynamically load a library (presumably containing probes to connect); +- connect a probe to a Tracepoint or Marker; +- activate a Tracepoint or Marker; +- initialize the tracing buffers; +- flush the tracing buffers; +- finalize the tracing buffers; + +The application may also spontaneously provide information to the pipe: + +- a buffer is full; +- new tracepoints or markers are appearing or disappearing, because modules are + dynamically loaded or unloaded; + +In addition, the tracing control application should be notified when the +application exits (to save the content of buffers if the application is +crashing). Such notification may be obtained through utrace.