erl_tracer

Erl Tracer Module example

In the example below a tracer module with a nif backend sends a message for each send trace tag containing only the sender and receiver. Using this tracer module, a much more lightweight message tracer is used that only records who sent messages to who.

Here is an example session using it on Linux.

$ gcc -I erts-8.0/include/ -fPIC -shared -o erl_msg_tracer.so erl_msg_tracer.c
$ erl
Erlang/OTP 19 [DEVELOPMENT] [erts-8.0] [source-ed2b56b] [64-bit] [smp:8:8] [async-threads:10] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false]

Eshell V8.0  (abort with ^G)
1> c(erl_msg_tracer), erl_msg_tracer:load().
ok
2> Tracer = spawn(fun F() -> receive M -> io:format("~p~n",[M]), F() end end).
<0.37.0>
3> erlang:trace(new, true, [send,{tracer, erl_msg_tracer, Tracer}]).
0
{<0.39.0>,<0.27.0>}
4> {ok, D} = file:open("/tmp/tmp.data",[write]).
{trace,#Port<0.486>,<0.40.0>}
{trace,<0.40.0>,<0.21.0>}
{trace,#Port<0.487>,<0.4.0>}
{trace,#Port<0.488>,<0.4.0>}
{trace,#Port<0.489>,<0.4.0>}
{trace,#Port<0.490>,<0.4.0>}
{ok,<0.40.0>}
{trace,<0.41.0>,<0.27.0>}
5>

erl_msg_tracer.erl

-module(erl_msg_tracer).

-export([enabled/3, trace/6, load/0]).

load() ->
    erlang:load_nif("erl_msg_tracer", []).

enabled(_, _, _) ->
    error.

trace(_, _, _,_, _, _) ->
    error.

erl_msg_tracer.c

#include "erl_nif.h"

/* NIF interface declarations */
static int load(ErlNifEnv* env, void** priv_data, ERL_NIF_TERM load_info);
static int upgrade(ErlNifEnv* env, void** priv_data, void** old_priv_data, ERL_NIF_TERM load_info);
static void unload(ErlNifEnv* env, void* priv_data);

/* The NIFs: */
static ERL_NIF_TERM enabled(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
static ERL_NIF_TERM trace(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);

static ErlNifFunc nif_funcs[] = {
    {"enabled", 3, enabled},
    {"trace", 6, trace}
};

ERL_NIF_INIT(erl_msg_tracer, nif_funcs, load, NULL, upgrade, unload)

static int load(ErlNifEnv* env, void** priv_data, ERL_NIF_TERM load_info)
{
    *priv_data = NULL;
    return 0;
}

static void unload(ErlNifEnv* env, void* priv_data)
{

}

static int upgrade(ErlNifEnv* env, void** priv_data, void** old_priv_data,
		   ERL_NIF_TERM load_info)
{
    if (*old_priv_data != NULL || *priv_data != NULL) {
	return -1; /* Don't know how to do that */
    }
    if (load(env, priv_data, load_info)) {
	return -1;
    }
    return 0;
}

/*
 * argv[0]: TraceTag
 * argv[1]: TracerState
 * argv[2]: Tracee
 */
static ERL_NIF_TERM enabled(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
{
    ErlNifPid to_pid;
    if (enif_get_local_pid(env, argv[1], &to_pid))
        if (!enif_is_process_alive(env, &to_pid))
            if (enif_is_identical(enif_make_atom(env, "trace_status"), argv[0]))
                /* tracer is dead so we should remove this tracepoint */
                return enif_make_atom(env, "remove");
            else
                return enif_make_atom(env, "discard");

    /* Only generate trace for when tracer != tracee */
    if (enif_is_identical(argv[1], argv[2]))
        return enif_make_atom(env, "discard");

    /* Only trigger trace messages on 'send' */
    if (enif_is_identical(enif_make_atom(env, "send"), argv[0]))
        return enif_make_atom(env, "trace");

    /* Have to answer trace_status */
    if (enif_is_identical(enif_make_atom(env, "trace_status"), argv[0]))
        return enif_make_atom(env, "trace");

    return enif_make_atom(env, "discard");
}

/*
 * argv[0]: TraceTag, should only be 'send'
 * argv[1]: TracerState, process to send {argv[2], argv[4]} to
 * argv[2]: Tracee
 * argv[3]: Message, ignored
 * argv[4]: Recipient
 * argv[5]: Options, ignored
 */
static ERL_NIF_TERM trace(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
{
    ErlNifPid to_pid;

    if (enif_get_local_pid(env, argv[1], &to_pid)) {
        ERL_NIF_TERM msg = enif_make_tuple3(env, enif_make_atom(env, "trace"), argv[2], argv[4]);
        enif_send(env, &to_pid, NULL, msg);
    }

    return enif_make_atom(env, "ok");
}