sched_switch

NAME¶

sched_switch - CPU scheduler context switch event

DESCRIPTION¶

Triggered when the CPU scheduler switches between processes or threads on a CPU core. This event provides detailed information about both the previous and next processes, including their identifiers and command names. It captures the low-level context switching that occurs in the kernel scheduler.

This event is fundamental for understanding system scheduling behavior, CPU utilization patterns, and process execution flow at the most granular level.

EVENT SETS¶

none

DATA FIELDS¶

cpu (int32) : The CPU core number where the context switch occurred

prev_tid (int32) : Thread ID of the process being switched out

prev_comm (string) : Command name of the process being switched out

next_tid (int32) : Thread ID of the process being switched in

next_comm (string) : Command name of the process being switched in

DEPENDENCIES¶

Kernel Tracepoint:

sched:sched_switch (required): Scheduler tracepoint for context switch events

USE CASES¶

Performance analysis: Identify excessive context switching causing performance issues
CPU affinity monitoring: Track process migration between CPU cores
Scheduler behavior analysis: Understand scheduling decisions and patterns
Real-time analysis: Monitor scheduling latency and responsiveness
Process activity tracking: Detailed view of process execution on specific CPUs

sched_process_fork: Process creation scheduler event
sched_process_exit: Process termination scheduler event
sched_process_exec: Process execution scheduler event