llvm-mca - LLVM Machine Code Analyzer ===================================== SYNOPSIS -------- :program:`llvm-mca` [*options*] [input] DESCRIPTION ----------- :program:`llvm-mca` is a performance analysis tool that uses information available in LLVM (e.g. scheduling models) to statically measure the performance of machine code in a specific CPU. Performance is measured in terms of throughput as well as processor resource consumption. The tool currently works for processors with an out-of-order backend, for which there is a scheduling model available in LLVM. The main goal of this tool is not just to predict the performance of the code when run on the target, but also help with diagnosing potential performance issues. Given an assembly code sequence, llvm-mca estimates the IPC (Instructions Per Cycle), as well as hardware resource pressure. The analysis and reporting style were inspired by the IACA tool from Intel. :program:`llvm-mca` allows the usage of special code comments to mark regions of the assembly code to be analyzed. A comment starting with substring ``LLVM-MCA-BEGIN`` marks the beginning of a code region. A comment starting with substring ``LLVM-MCA-END`` marks the end of a code region. For example: .. code-block:: none # LLVM-MCA-BEGIN My Code Region ... # LLVM-MCA-END Multiple regions can be specified provided that they do not overlap. A code region can have an optional description. If no user-defined region is specified, then :program:`llvm-mca` assumes a default region which contains every instruction in the input file. Every region is analyzed in isolation, and the final performance report is the union of all the reports generated for every code region. Inline assembly directives may be used from source code to annotate the assembly text: .. code-block:: c++ int foo(int a, int b) { __asm volatile("# LLVM-MCA-BEGIN foo"); a += 42; __asm volatile("# LLVM-MCA-END"); a *= b; return a; } So for example, you can compile code with clang, output assembly, and pipe it directly into llvm-mca for analysis: .. code-block:: bash $ clang foo.c -O2 -target x86_64-unknown-unknown -S -o - | llvm-mca -mcpu=btver2 Or for Intel syntax: .. code-block:: bash $ clang foo.c -O2 -target x86_64-unknown-unknown -mllvm -x86-asm-syntax=intel -S -o - | llvm-mca -mcpu=btver2 OPTIONS ------- If ``input`` is "``-``" or omitted, :program:`llvm-mca` reads from standard input. Otherwise, it will read from the specified filename. If the :option:`-o` option is omitted, then :program:`llvm-mca` will send its output to standard output if the input is from standard input. If the :option:`-o` option specifies "``-``", then the output will also be sent to standard output. .. option:: -help Print a summary of command line options. .. option:: -mtriple= Specify a target triple string. .. option:: -march= Specify the architecture for which to analyze the code. It defaults to the host default target. .. option:: -mcpu= Specify the processor for which to analyze the code. By default, the cpu name is autodetected from the host. .. option:: -output-asm-variant= Specify the output assembly variant for the report generated by the tool. On x86, possible values are [0, 1]. A value of 0 (vic. 1) for this flag enables the AT&T (vic. Intel) assembly format for the code printed out by the tool in the analysis report. .. option:: -dispatch= Specify a different dispatch width for the processor. The dispatch width defaults to field 'IssueWidth' in the processor scheduling model. If width is zero, then the default dispatch width is used. .. option:: -register-file-size= Specify the size of the register file. When specified, this flag limits how many temporary registers are available for register renaming purposes. A value of zero for this flag means "unlimited number of temporary registers". .. option:: -iterations= Specify the number of iterations to run. If this flag is set to 0, then the tool sets the number of iterations to a default value (i.e. 100). .. option:: -noalias= If set, the tool assumes that loads and stores don't alias. This is the default behavior. .. option:: -lqueue= Specify the size of the load queue in the load/store unit emulated by the tool. By default, the tool assumes an unbound number of entries in the load queue. A value of zero for this flag is ignored, and the default load queue size is used instead. .. option:: -squeue= Specify the size of the store queue in the load/store unit emulated by the tool. By default, the tool assumes an unbound number of entries in the store queue. A value of zero for this flag is ignored, and the default store queue size is used instead. .. option:: -timeline Enable the timeline view. .. option:: -timeline-max-iterations= Limit the number of iterations to print in the timeline view. By default, the timeline view prints information for up to 10 iterations. .. option:: -timeline-max-cycles= Limit the number of cycles in the timeline view. By default, the number of cycles is set to 80. .. option:: -resource-pressure Enable the resource pressure view. This is enabled by default. .. option:: -register-file-stats Enable register file usage statistics. .. option:: -dispatch-stats Enable extra dispatch statistics. This view collects and analyzes instruction dispatch events, as well as static/dynamic dispatch stall events. This view is disabled by default. .. option:: -scheduler-stats Enable extra scheduler statistics. This view collects and analyzes instruction issue events. This view is disabled by default. .. option:: -retire-stats Enable extra retire control unit statistics. This view is disabled by default. .. option:: -instruction-info Enable the instruction info view. This is enabled by default. .. option:: -all-stats Print all hardware statistics. This enables extra statistics related to the dispatch logic, the hardware schedulers, the register file(s), and the retire control unit. This option is disabled by default. .. option:: -all-views Enable all the view. .. option:: -instruction-tables Prints resource pressure information based on the static information available from the processor model. This differs from the resource pressure view because it doesn't require that the code is simulated. It instead prints the theoretical uniform distribution of resource pressure for every instruction in sequence. EXIT STATUS ----------- :program:`llvm-mca` returns 0 on success. Otherwise, an error message is printed to standard error, and the tool returns 1.