tools/perf/Documentation/tips.txt - linux - Git at Google

 For a higher level overview, try: perf report --sort comm,dso
 Sample related events with: perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}:S'
 Compare performance results with: perf diff [<old file> <new file>]
 Boolean options have negative forms, e.g.: perf report --no-children
 To not accumulate CPU time of children symbols add --no-children
 Customize output of perf script with: perf script -F event,ip,sym
 Generate a script for your data: perf script -g <lang>
 Save output of perf stat using: perf stat record <target workload>
 Create an archive with symtabs to analyse on other machine: perf archive
 Search options using a keyword: perf report -h <keyword>
 Use parent filter to see specific call path: perf report -p <regex>
 List events using substring match: perf list <keyword>
 To see list of saved events and attributes: perf evlist -v
 Use --symfs <dir> if your symbol files are in non-standard locations
 To see callchains in a more compact form: perf report -g folded
 To see call chains by final symbol taking CPU time (bottom up) use perf report -G
 Show individual samples with: perf script
 Limit to show entries above 5% only: perf report --percent-limit 5
 Profiling branch (mis)predictions with: perf record -b / perf report
 To show assembler sample context control flow use perf record -b / perf report --samples 10 and then browse context
 To adjust path to source files to local file system use perf report --prefix=... --prefix-strip=...
 Treat branches as callchains: perf record -b ... ; perf report --branch-history
 Show estimate cycles per function and IPC in annotate use perf record -b ... ; perf report --total-cycles
 To count events every 1000 msec: perf stat -I 1000
 Print event counts in machine readable CSV format with: perf stat -x\;
 If you have debuginfo enabled, try: perf report -s sym,srcline
 For memory address profiling, try: perf mem record / perf mem report
 For tracepoint events, try: perf report -s trace_fields
 To record callchains for each sample: perf record -g
 If call chains don't work try perf record --call-graph dwarf or --call-graph lbr
 To record every process run by a user: perf record -u <user>
 To show inline functions in call traces add --inline to perf report
 To not record events from perf itself add --exclude-perf
 Skip collecting build-id when recording: perf record -B
 To change sampling frequency to 100 Hz: perf record -F 100
 To show information about system the samples were collected on use perf report --header
 To only collect call graph on one event use perf record -e cpu/cpu-cycles,callgraph=1/,branches ; perf report --show-ref-call-graph
 To set sampling period of individual events use perf record -e cpu/cpu-cycles,period=100001/,cpu/branches,period=10001/ ...
 To group events which need to be collected together for accuracy use {}: perf record -e {cycles,branches}' ...
 To compute metrics for samples use perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}' ... ; perf script -F +metric
 See assembly instructions with percentage: perf annotate <symbol>
 If you prefer Intel style assembly, try: perf annotate -M intel
 When collecting LBR backtraces use --stitch-lbr to handle more than 32 deep entries: perf record --call-graph lbr ; perf report --stitch-lbr
 For hierarchical output, try: perf report --hierarchy
 Order by the overhead of source file name and line number: perf report -s srcline
 System-wide collection from all CPUs: perf record -a
 Show current config key-value pairs: perf config --list
 To collect Processor Trace with samples use perf record -e '{intel_pt//,cycles}' ; perf script --call-trace or --insn-trace --xed -F +ipc (remove --xed if no xed)
 To trace calls using Processor Trace use perf record -e intel_pt// ... ; perf script --call-trace. Then use perf script --time A-B --insn-trace to look at region of interest.
 To measure approximate function latency with Processor Trace use perf record -e intel_pt// ... ; perf script --call-ret-trace
 To trace only single function with Processor Trace use perf record --filter 'filter func @ program' -e intel_pt//u ./program ; perf script --insn-trace
 Show user configuration overrides: perf config --user --list
 To add Node.js USDT(User-Level Statically Defined Tracing): perf buildid-cache --add `which node`
 To analyze cache line scalability issues use perf c2c record ... ; perf c2c report
 To browse sample contexts use perf report --sample 10 and select in context menu
 To separate samples by time use perf report --sort time,overhead,sym
 To filter subset of samples with report or script add --time X-Y or --cpu A,B,C or --socket-filter ...
 To set sample time separation other than 100ms with --sort time use --time-quantum
 Add -I to perf record to sample register values, which will be visible in perf report sample context.
 To show IPC for sampling periods use perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}:S' and then browse context
 To show context switches in perf report sample context add --switch-events to perf record.
 To show time in nanoseconds in record/report add --ns
 To compare hot regions in two workloads use perf record -b -o file ... ; perf diff --stream file1 file2
 To compare scalability of two workload samples use perf diff -c ratio file1 file2
	For a higher level overview, try: perf report --sort comm,dso
	Sample related events with: perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}:S'
	Compare performance results with: perf diff [<old file> <new file>]
	Boolean options have negative forms, e.g.: perf report --no-children
	To not accumulate CPU time of children symbols add --no-children
	Customize output of perf script with: perf script -F event,ip,sym
	Generate a script for your data: perf script -g <lang>
	Save output of perf stat using: perf stat record <target workload>
	Create an archive with symtabs to analyse on other machine: perf archive
	Search options using a keyword: perf report -h <keyword>
	Use parent filter to see specific call path: perf report -p <regex>
	List events using substring match: perf list <keyword>
	To see list of saved events and attributes: perf evlist -v
	Use --symfs <dir> if your symbol files are in non-standard locations
	To see callchains in a more compact form: perf report -g folded
	To see call chains by final symbol taking CPU time (bottom up) use perf report -G
	Show individual samples with: perf script
	Limit to show entries above 5% only: perf report --percent-limit 5
	Profiling branch (mis)predictions with: perf record -b / perf report
	To show assembler sample context control flow use perf record -b / perf report --samples 10 and then browse context
	To adjust path to source files to local file system use perf report --prefix=... --prefix-strip=...
	Treat branches as callchains: perf record -b ... ; perf report --branch-history
	Show estimate cycles per function and IPC in annotate use perf record -b ... ; perf report --total-cycles
	To count events every 1000 msec: perf stat -I 1000
	Print event counts in machine readable CSV format with: perf stat -x\;
	If you have debuginfo enabled, try: perf report -s sym,srcline
	For memory address profiling, try: perf mem record / perf mem report
	For tracepoint events, try: perf report -s trace_fields
	To record callchains for each sample: perf record -g
	If call chains don't work try perf record --call-graph dwarf or --call-graph lbr
	To record every process run by a user: perf record -u <user>
	To show inline functions in call traces add --inline to perf report
	To not record events from perf itself add --exclude-perf
	Skip collecting build-id when recording: perf record -B
	To change sampling frequency to 100 Hz: perf record -F 100
	To show information about system the samples were collected on use perf report --header
	To only collect call graph on one event use perf record -e cpu/cpu-cycles,callgraph=1/,branches ; perf report --show-ref-call-graph
	To set sampling period of individual events use perf record -e cpu/cpu-cycles,period=100001/,cpu/branches,period=10001/ ...
	To group events which need to be collected together for accuracy use {}: perf record -e {cycles,branches}' ...
	To compute metrics for samples use perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}' ... ; perf script -F +metric
	See assembly instructions with percentage: perf annotate <symbol>
	If you prefer Intel style assembly, try: perf annotate -M intel
	When collecting LBR backtraces use --stitch-lbr to handle more than 32 deep entries: perf record --call-graph lbr ; perf report --stitch-lbr
	For hierarchical output, try: perf report --hierarchy
	Order by the overhead of source file name and line number: perf report -s srcline
	System-wide collection from all CPUs: perf record -a
	Show current config key-value pairs: perf config --list
	To collect Processor Trace with samples use perf record -e '{intel_pt//,cycles}' ; perf script --call-trace or --insn-trace --xed -F +ipc (remove --xed if no xed)
	To trace calls using Processor Trace use perf record -e intel_pt// ... ; perf script --call-trace. Then use perf script --time A-B --insn-trace to look at region of interest.
	To measure approximate function latency with Processor Trace use perf record -e intel_pt// ... ; perf script --call-ret-trace
	To trace only single function with Processor Trace use perf record --filter 'filter func @ program' -e intel_pt//u ./program ; perf script --insn-trace
	Show user configuration overrides: perf config --user --list
	To add Node.js USDT(User-Level Statically Defined Tracing): perf buildid-cache --add `which node`
	To analyze cache line scalability issues use perf c2c record ... ; perf c2c report
	To browse sample contexts use perf report --sample 10 and select in context menu
	To separate samples by time use perf report --sort time,overhead,sym
	To filter subset of samples with report or script add --time X-Y or --cpu A,B,C or --socket-filter ...
	To set sample time separation other than 100ms with --sort time use --time-quantum
	Add -I to perf record to sample register values, which will be visible in perf report sample context.
	To show IPC for sampling periods use perf record -e '{cycles,instructions}:S' and then browse context
	To show context switches in perf report sample context add --switch-events to perf record.
	To show time in nanoseconds in record/report add --ns
	To compare hot regions in two workloads use perf record -b -o file ... ; perf diff --stream file1 file2
	To compare scalability of two workload samples use perf diff -c ratio file1 file2