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diff --git a/collectors/perf.plugin/README.md b/collectors/perf.plugin/README.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..ce696b06 --- /dev/null +++ b/collectors/perf.plugin/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,72 @@ +# perf.plugin + +`perf.plugin` collects system-wide CPU performance statistics from Performance Monitoring Units (PMU) using +the `perf_event_open()` system call. + +## Important Notes + +Accessing hardware PMUs requires root permissions, so the plugin is setuid to root. + +Keep in mind that the number of PMUs in a system is usually quite limited and every hardware monitoring +event for every CPU core needs a separate file descriptor to be opened. + +## Charts + +The plugin provides statistics for general hardware and software performance monitoring events: + +Hardware events: +1. CPU cycles +2. Instructions +3. Branch instructions +4. Cache operations +5. BUS cycles +6. Stalled frontend and backend cycles + +Software events: +1. CPU migrations +2. Alignment faults +3. Emulation faults + +Hardware cache events: +1. L1D cache operations +2. L1D prefetch cache operations +3. L1I cache operations +4. LL cache operations +5. DTLB cache operations +6. ITLB cache operations +7. PBU cache operations + +## Configuration + +The plugin is disabled by default because the number of PMUs is usually quite limited and it is not desired to +allow Netdata to struggle silently for PMUs, interfering with other performance monitoring software. If you need to +enable the perf plugin, edit /etc/netdata/netdata.conf and set: + +```raw +[plugins] + perf = yes +``` + +```raw +[plugin:perf] + update every = 1 + command options = all +``` + +You can use the `command options` parameter to pick what data should be collected and which charts should be +displayed. If `all` is used, all general performance monitoring counters are probed and corresponding charts +are enabled for the available counters. You can also define a particular set of enabled charts using the +following keywords: `cycles`, `instructions`, `branch`, `cache`, `bus`, `stalled`, `migrations`, `alighnment`, +`emulation`, `L1D`, `L1D-prefetch`, `L1I`, `LL`, `DTLB`, `ITLB`, `PBU`. + +## Debugging + +You can run the plugin by hand: + +```raw +sudo /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/perf.plugin 1 all debug +``` + +You will get verbose output on what the plugin does. + +[]() |