VTune on Xeon EM64T

[guillermo_marcus]

Hi,

I was trying to perform some tests in a Xeon EM64T machine running RedHat, but when trying to create an activity I get the error:

Couldn't get object name for the processor with CPUID EAX: 0xf34

I am not using the EM64T extensions (yet), how can I tell VTL to just see it as regular Xeon processor?

Cheers,
GM

[jeffrey-gallagher]

Hey GM,

The planned support for EM64T is only available in the VTune 3.0 for Linux released software, not the beta. That software is currently planned to be available to beta customers on or near DEC 10, a week or so away. That support is via a remote linux agent--vtserver -- which happens tounderstand EM64T. (You won't be able to install vtl or vtlec on the EM64T system; they'd have to be installed on a non EM64T system, and you'd do profiling to the EM64T system via the remote agent.)

The vtl/vtlec software itself can't see an EM64T as just a plain old Xeon processor for a variety of technical reasons, having to do with some monolithic pieces of its own code (not related to the EM64T processor itself).

So, in the next release we'll have "native" support for EM64T (mid next year). For now, you have to use the release version of vtl 3.0, and, with remote agent only.

cheers

jdg

[guillermo_marcus]

Hi,

What happens if I am not interested at all in EM64T at this moment? Is not the tool able to access the processor in a "compatibility mode"? You state clearly in the product requirements that any subsequent Intel IA-32 processor is supported.

http://www.intel.com/software/products/vtune/vlin/sysreq.htm

And the tool is refusing to operate on the Xeon with EM64T extensions, which is a 32-bit processor with 64-bit extensions. For me, just an option to override the CPU check and behaves a normal Xeon (or the closest relative to this particular model) would be a sufficient workaround.

GM.

[jeffrey-gallagher]

GM,

Your comments are extremely helpful to us here at Intel, and I want to thank you for them and urge you to keep up the great work --> reporting to us what you're seeing is exactly what we need and appreciate.

You've helped us here in this case, for example, to isolate a documentation glitch in those very old release notes: they were written close to 14 months ago, when EM64T did not even exist. No older or previous versions of the VTune analyzer (3.0 for Linux, 7.2 for Windows) support EM64T, and those two only bymeans of a remote agent , at least AT THIS TIME. (Will that change? You bet.)

The fact is, VTune 2.0 does not support EM64T now, in any fashion, nor will it in the future. Users will be -- are being --asked to upgrade to 3.0 as soon as it is available.

And, just in case you find it interesting, that download of vtl 2.0(and release notes) will be replaced on line by the new vtl 3.0 and its release notes, with its EM64Tsupport via the remote agent (RCD). The release notes you've been reading will be replaced by the versions for the state of the art product.

Those of us here at Intel on the engineering team also greatly appreciate your excellent reports regarding your installation experiences. It's our sincere hope you will continue to keep us in the loop, as you have done already.

In the case this advice may be of use to you in the future, be sure to note:

-- VTune 3.0 for Linux is designed and tested on a very specific default releases of Red Hat and SuSE Linux. If you aren't running on one of those, your chances of successful installation are not high (possibly resulting in much time use on the installers part)

-- The Linux remote agent (sometimes called an RDC) is a way to profile Linux applications on servers that are not in the 3.0 supported list, above. The testing for the remote agent involves many more versions of Linux, and contains an opensource kit that allows users to compile sampling drivers for OS versions that we don't yet support there, even

So within in this model, the quickest path to success is to stick to the listed OS version for vtl installs, and, use the RDC for everything else. (For our Windows/Linux customers, we have Linux remote agents that work with the Windows VTune GUI as well).

Again, many thanks for your perserverance: I think getting you vtl 3.0 when it's available in the next few weeks will be a great next step, hopefully giving you some smooth sailing as it has so many of our beta test customers.

cheers

jdg

[guillermo_marcus]

Hi,

Here you said earlier that EM64T is only supported in VTL3.0 via the remote data collector, and that EM64T support would be available only at mid year. However, the Readme and the installation program from the 3.0 version released in Dec 2004 says that the Command line and the Eclipse interface are available also for the EM64T platform. It is also prominently said in the VTune web page. I have tryed to install the Eclipse interface and fails, but that is another issue.

So, at the present time, what is the support available for EM64T and the possible installations?

Best Regards,
GM.

[jeffrey-gallagher]

EM64T support, sampling only, is available only with the latest remote linux agent (also called RDC, or just simply, vtserver). This software can be downloaded from Premier, or, it comes with the VTune for Windows 7.2 product as well (separate tar ball and install, "install.sh")

With the next release of VTune for Linux (which is due at the beginning of NOV of this year), EM64T support will be available for sampling AND callgraph for the first time.

I hope this helps!

cheers

jdg