tracing: only prepare tracepoint args if attached

Before this commit, we would always prepare tracepoint arguments
regardless of the tracepoint being used or not. While we already made
sure not to include expensive arguments in our tracepoints, this
commit introduces gating to make sure the arguments are only prepared
if the tracepoints are actually used. This is a win-win improvement
to our tracing framework. For users not interested in tracing, the
overhead is reduced to a cheap 'greater than 0' compare. As the
semaphore-gating technique used here is available in bpftrace, bcc,
and libbpf, users interested in tracing don't have to change their
tracing scripts while profiting from potential future tracepoints
passing slightly more expensive arguments. An example are mempool
tracepoints that pass serialized transactions. We've avoided the
serialization in the past as it was too expensive.

Under the hood, the semaphore-gating works by placing a 2-byte
semaphore in the '.probes' ELF section. The address of the semaphore
is contained in the ELF note providing the tracepoint information
(`readelf -n ./src/bitcoind | grep NT_STAPSDT`). Tracing toolkits
like bpftrace, bcc, and libbpf increase the semaphore at the address
upon attaching to the tracepoint. We only prepare the arguments and
reach the tracepoint if the semaphore is greater than zero. The
semaphore is decreased when detaching from the tracepoint.

This also extends the "Adding a new tracepoint" documentation to
include information about the semaphores and updated step-by-step
instructions on how to add a new tracepoint.

Author: 0xB10C

doc/tracing.md

@@ -270,21 +270,47 @@ Use the `TRACEPOINT` macro to add a new tracepoint. If not yet included, include
 Each tracepoint needs a `context` and an `event`. Please use `snake_case` and
 try to make sure that the tracepoint names make sense even without detailed
 knowledge of the implementation details. You can pass zero to twelve arguments
-to the tracepoint. Do not forget to update the tracepoint list in this
-document.
+to the tracepoint. Each tracepoint also needs a global semaphore. The semaphore
+gates the tracepoint arguments from being processed if we are not attached to
+the tracepoint. Add a `TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(context, event)` with the `context`
+and `event` of your tracepoint in the top-level namespace at the beginning of
+the file. Do not forget to update the tracepoint list in this document.
 
-For example, a tracepoint in the `net` context for the event `inbound_message`
-and six arguments:
+For example, the `net:outbound_message` tracepoint in `src/net.cpp` with six
+arguments.
 
 ```C++
-TRACEPOINT(net, inbound_message,
-    pnode->GetId(),
-    pnode->m_addr_name.c_str(),
-    pnode->ConnectionTypeAsString().c_str(),
-    sanitizedType.c_str(),
-    msg.data.size(),
-    msg.data.data()
-);
+// src/net.cpp
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(net, outbound_message);
+…
+void CConnman::PushMessage(…) {
+  …
+  TRACEPOINT(net, outbound_message,
+      pnode->GetId(),
+      pnode->m_addr_name.c_str(),
+      pnode->ConnectionTypeAsString().c_str(),
+      sanitizedType.c_str(),
+      msg.data.size(),
+      msg.data.data()
+  );
+  …
+}
+```
+If needed, an extra `if (TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE(context, event)) {...}` check can be
+used to prepare somewhat expensive arguments right before the tracepoint. While
+the tracepoint arguments are only prepared when we attach something to the
+tracepoint, an argument preparation should never hang the process. Hashing and
+serialization of data structures is probably fine, a `sleep(10s)` not.
+
+```C++
+// An example tracepoint with an expensive argument.
+
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(example, gated_expensive_argument);
+…
+if (TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE(example, gated_expensive_argument)) {
+    expensive_argument = expensive_calulation();
+    TRACEPOINT(example, gated_expensive_argument, expensive_argument);
+}
 ```
 
 ### Guidelines and best practices
@@ -302,12 +328,6 @@ the tracepoint. See existing examples in [contrib/tracing/].
 
 [contrib/tracing/]: ../contrib/tracing/
 
-#### No expensive computations for tracepoints
-Data passed to the tracepoint should be inexpensive to compute. Although the
-tracepoint itself only has overhead when enabled, the code to compute arguments
-is always run - even if the tracepoint is not used. For example, avoid
-serialization and parsing.
-
 #### Semi-stable API
 Tracepoints should have a semi-stable API. Users should be able to rely on the
 tracepoints for scripting. This means tracepoints need to be documented, and the
@@ -354,9 +374,9 @@ $ gdb ./build/src/bitcoind
 …
 (gdb) info probes
 Type Provider   Name             Where              Semaphore Object
-stap net        inbound_message  0x000000000014419e /build/src/bitcoind
-stap net        outbound_message 0x0000000000107c05 /build/src/bitcoind
-stap validation block_connected  0x00000000002fb10c /build/src/bitcoind
+stap net        inbound_message  0x000000000014419e 0x0000000000d29bd2 /build/src/bitcoind
+stap net        outbound_message 0x0000000000107c05 0x0000000000d29bd0 /build/src/bitcoind
+stap validation block_connected  0x00000000002fb10c 0x0000000000d29bd8 /build/src/bitcoind
 …
 ```
 
@@ -372,7 +392,7 @@ Displaying notes found in: .note.stapsdt
   stapsdt              0x0000005d	NT_STAPSDT (SystemTap probe descriptors)
     Provider: net
     Name: outbound_message
-    Location: 0x0000000000107c05, Base: 0x0000000000579c90, Semaphore: 0x0000000000000000
+    Location: 0x0000000000107c05, Base: 0x0000000000579c90, Semaphore: 0x0000000000d29bd0
     Arguments: -8@%r12 8@%rbx 8@%rdi 8@192(%rsp) 8@%rax 8@%rdx
 …
 ```
@@ -391,7 +411,7 @@ between distributions. For example, on
 
 ```
 $ tplist -l ./build/src/bitcoind -v
-b'net':b'outbound_message' [sema 0x0]
+b'net':b'outbound_message' [sema 0xd29bd0]
   1 location(s)
   6 argument(s)
 …

src/coins.cpp

@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 #include <random.h>
 #include <util/trace.h>
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(utxocache, add);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(utxocache, spent);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(utxocache, uncache);
+
 std::optional<Coin> CCoinsView::GetCoin(const COutPoint& outpoint) const { return std::nullopt; }
 uint256 CCoinsView::GetBestBlock() const { return uint256(); }
 std::vector<uint256> CCoinsView::GetHeadBlocks() const { return std::vector<uint256>(); }

src/net.cpp

@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@
 #include <optional>
 #include <unordered_map>
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(net, outbound_message);
+
 /** Maximum number of block-relay-only anchor connections */
 static constexpr size_t MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_ANCHORS = 2;
 static_assert (MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_ANCHORS <= static_cast<size_t>(MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS), "MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_ANCHORS must not exceed MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS.");

src/net_processing.cpp

@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@
 
 using namespace util::hex_literals;
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(net, inbound_message);
+
 /** Headers download timeout.
  *  Timeout = base + per_header * (expected number of headers) */
 static constexpr auto HEADERS_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT_BASE = 15min;

src/test/util_trace_tests.cpp

@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@
 
 #include <util/trace.h>
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(test, zero_args);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(test, one_arg);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(test, six_args);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(test, twelve_args);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(test, check_if_attached);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(test, expensive_section);
+
 BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_SUITE(util_trace_tests, BasicTestingSetup)
 
 // Tests the TRACEPOINT macro and that we can compile tracepoints with 0 to 12 args.
@@ -20,4 +27,32 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_tracepoints)
     BOOST_CHECK(true);
 }
 
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
+int fail_test_if_executed()
+{
+    BOOST_CHECK(false);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_tracepoint_check_if_attached)
+{
+    // TRACEPOINT should check if we are attaching to the tracepoint and only then
+    // process arguments. This means, only if we are attached to the
+    // `test:check_if_attached` tracepoint, fail_test_if_executed() is executed.
+    // Since we don't attach to the tracepoint when running the test, it succeeds.
+    TRACEPOINT(test, check_if_attached, fail_test_if_executed());
+    BOOST_CHECK(true);
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_tracepoint_manual_tracepoint_active_check)
+{
+    // We should be able to use the TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE() macro to only
+    // execute an 'expensive' code section if we are attached to the
+    // tracepoint.
+    if (TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE(test, expensive_section)) {
+        BOOST_CHECK(false); // expensive_function()
+        TRACEPOINT(test, expensive_section);
+    }
+    BOOST_CHECK(true);
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()

src/txmempool.cpp

@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
 #include <string_view>
 #include <utility>
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(mempool, added);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(mempool, removed);
+
 bool TestLockPointValidity(CChain& active_chain, const LockPoints& lp)
 {
     AssertLockHeld(cs_main);

src/util/trace.h

@@ -13,16 +13,42 @@
 // the optional variadic macros to define tracepoints.
 #define SDT_USE_VARIADIC 1
 
+// Setting _SDT_HAS_SEMAPHORES let's systemtap (sys/sdt.h) know that we want to
+// use the optional semaphore feature for our tracepoints. This feature allows
+// us to check if something is attached to a tracepoint. We only want to prepare
+// some potentially expensive tracepoint arguments, if the tracepoint is being
+// used. Here, an expensive argument preparation could, for example, be
+// calculating a hash or serialization of a data structure.
+#define _SDT_HAS_SEMAPHORES 1
+
+// Used to define a counting semaphore for a tracepoint. This semaphore is
+// automatically incremented by tracing frameworks (bpftrace, bcc, libbpf, ...)
+// upon attaching to the tracepoint and decremented when detaching. This needs
+// to be a global variable. It's placed in the '.probes' ELF section.
+#define TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(context, event) \
+    unsigned short context##_##event##_semaphore __attribute__((section(".probes")))
+
 #include <sys/sdt.h>
 
-// A USDT tracepoint with zero to twelve arguments.
-#define TRACEPOINT(context, ...) \
-    STAP_PROBEV(context, __VA_ARGS__);
+// Returns true if something is attached to the tracepoint.
+#define TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE(context, event) (context##_##event##_semaphore > 0)
+
+// A USDT tracepoint with one to twelve arguments. It's checked that the
+// tracepoint is active before preparing its arguments.
+#define TRACEPOINT(context, event, ...)                                         \
+    do {                                                                        \
+        if (TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE(context, event)) {                                \
+            STAP_PROBEV(context, event __VA_OPT__(, ) __VA_ARGS__);             \
+        }                                                                       \
+    } while(0)
+
 #else
 
+#define TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(context, event)
+#define TRACEPOINT_ACTIVE(context, event) false
 #define TRACEPOINT(context, ...)
 
-#endif
+#endif // ENABLE_TRACING
 
 
 #endif // BITCOIN_UTIL_TRACE_H

src/validation.cpp

@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ const std::vector<std::string> CHECKLEVEL_DOC {
  * */
 static constexpr int PRUNE_LOCK_BUFFER{10};
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(validation, block_connected);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(utxocache, flush);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(mempool, replaced);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(mempool, rejected);
+
 const CBlockIndex* Chainstate::FindForkInGlobalIndex(const CBlockLocator& locator) const
 {
     AssertLockHeld(cs_main);

src/wallet/spend.cpp

@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ using common::TransactionErrorString;
 using interfaces::FoundBlock;
 using node::TransactionError;
 
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(coin_selection, selected_coins);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(coin_selection, normal_create_tx_internal);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(coin_selection, attempting_aps_create_tx);
+TRACEPOINT_SEMAPHORE(coin_selection, aps_create_tx_internal);
+
 namespace wallet {
 static constexpr size_t OUTPUT_GROUP_MAX_ENTRIES{100};