CPU architecture can't be identified

[Intel_C_Intel]

Hi I have installed VTune for Linux (kernel: 2.6.18.8-0.1-default) on a Dell Precision 470 using dual Xeon CPUs (3GHz) running OpenSUSE 10.2. I didn't get any errors on installation and the GUI seems to fire up with no problems. However, when I try to sample some data from a program, either by running the 'First Use' option from the GUI or specifying vtl from the shell I get the message: The CPU architecture can't be identified properly; data collection is not available! Is there any reason why I might get this error? Thanks

[aokunev]

Hi

Can you check that sampling driver has been loaded as:
lsmod | grep vtune_drv. It's expected it's loaded in order to do sampling. Are you sure it has been compiled well during installation?

What VTune version do you use?

regards, Andrei

[bporter]

I am getting this same error message on Windows. I'm using Vista x64 Premium w/ an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+. Vista has no trouble identifying the processor.

I am using VTune version 9.0.010

I got the "CPU architecture can't be identified" message when attempting to use the sampling wizard within Visual Studio 2005... so I shut down VS and started VTune by itself. I used the Quick Performance Analysis wizard and got the following error message:

"A serious error occurred in file D:vtune5.0analyzersrcAnalyzerWizardsVTQPAWiz.cpp at line 807. The failed HRESULT that produced this error is 0x0. Please contact technical support."

I'd sure like to be able to use VTune after paying so much money for it... any help would be very much appreciated.

Regards
-Brad

[aokunev]

Hello Brad

This is a known product limitation - profiling on AMD processors using sampling will fail. The reason is the difference between low-level hardware implementation for Intel processors and AMD's. Specifically - difference with programming performance counters which are used for event-based sampling.

This program behavior is described in documentation and Release Notes published online.

You may want to try CodeAnalyst for profiling on AMD's processors.

regards, Andrei

[bporter]

Thanks, Andrei. I suppose I should have actually RTM before posting... but who ever does that? I've never used CodeAnalyst, but I'll give it a try. Are there any plans for VTune to support AMD in the future? I do understand that Intel is not interested in promoting/supporting competitors, but since VTune is a separate (and expensive, and widely used) product, perhaps I can look forward to using it on my AMD machines in the future?

Thanks again,
-Brad

[TimP]

I believe (personal opinion here) that making VTune run at all on AMD requires reverse engineering of counters which have no assured support. VTune development on Intel requires extensive trial and error testing; even internal documentation of the counters isn't sufficient. VTune development team doesn't have access to sufficient information on AMD, to make it a supported product. As sales of VTune probably aren't sufficient to pay back development cost, support from AMD CPU vendors would likely be needed; no such support has been publicized. It would be difficult to bridge any of the technical, financial, and policy obstacles. OS vendors' recommendations that Intel software tools not be used with AMD products, even when such use is fully supported, would have to change.