SimGrid  3.12
Versatile Simulation of Distributed Systems
Extending SimGrid

How to add a new model in surf?

The figure below shows the architecture of the SURF layer. This layer is composed of different kinds of models representing the different systems we want to model (i.e., cpu, network, storage, workstation, virtual machine).

A model in simgrid is composed of three classes: Model, Resource and Action (surf_interface.hpp).

surf++.png

Actually there are five kind of models: CpuModel, NetworkModel, WorkstationModel, WorkstationVMModel and StorageModel. For each kind of model, there is an interface (e.g.: cpu_interface.hpp) and some implementations (e.g.: cpu_cas01.hpp, cpu_ti.hpp).

The CPU model Cas01, for instance, is initialized by the function void surf_cpu_model_init_Cas01()

The different network models that are offered by simgrid are stored in the array that is defined as follows:

s_surf_model_description_t surf_network_model_description[] = {

How to add a new model implementation in surf?

If you want to create a new implementation of a kind of model you must extend the classes of the corresponding interfaces.

For instance, if you want to add a new cup model called Plop, create two files cpu_plop.hpp and cpu_plop_cpp which contains classes CpuPlopModel, CpuPlop and CpuPlopAction implementating respectively the interfaces CpuModel, Cpu and CpuAction. You also need to define a initializing function like this:

void surf_cpu_model_init_plop()
{
surf_cpu_model_pm = new CpuPlopModel();
sg_platf_host_add_cb(cpu_parse_init);
sg_platf_postparse_add_cb(cpu_add_traces);
}

and add an entry in the corresponding array in surf_interface.cpp

{"Cas01",
"Simplistic CPU model (time=size/power).",
{"Plop",
"The new plop CPU model.",
surf_cpu_model_init_plop},
{NULL, NULL, NULL} // this array must be NULL terminated
};

How to add a new kind of model in surf?

If you want to create a new kind of model, you must create a new interface where you extend the classes Model, Resource and Action, and then create an implementation of this interface.

How to use surf callbacks?

Adding features to surf could also be handle by using surf callbacks (instead of adding new implementation model). The list of available callbacks is accessible there SURF callbacks. An example of using surf callbacks is the energy plugin. If you want to add a plugin you need to define callback function and to connect them to callbacks handler in an initialization function.

static void MyNetworkLinkCreatedCallback(NetworkLinkPtr cpu){
// your code
}
static void MyNetworkLinkDestructedCallback(NetworkLinkPtr cpu){
// your code
}
static void MyNetworkCommunicationCallback(NetworkActionPtr cpu,
RoutingEdgePtr src,
RoutingEdgePtr dst){
// your code
}
void sg_my_network_plugin_init() {
surf_callback_connect(networkLinkCreatedCallbacks,
MyNetworkLinkCreatedCallback);
surf_callback_connect(networkLinkDestructedCallbacks,
MyNetworkLinkDestructedCallback);
surf_callback_connect(networkCommunicationCallbacks,
MyNetworkCommunicationCallback);
}

Then you need to add an entry in surf_interface.cpp refering to your initialization function.

s_surf_model_description_t surf_plugin_description[] = {
{"Energy",
"Cpu energy consumption.",
{"MyNetworkPlugin",
"My network plugin.",
sg_my_network_plugin_init},
{NULL, NULL, NULL} // this array must be NULL terminated
};

How to add a new simcall?

A simcall is used to go from user mode to kernel mode. There is some sort of popping dance involved, as we want to isolate the user contextes from their environment (so that they can run in parallel).

The workflow of a simcall is the following:

  • <ret> simcall_<name>(<args>)
    • simcall_BODY_<name>(<args>)
      • Initializes the simcall (store the arguments in position)
      • If maestro, executes the simcall directly (and return)
      • If not, call SIMIX_process_yield to give back the control to maestro
      • ========== KERNEL MODE ==========
      • SIMIX_simcall_handle large switch (on simcall) doing for each:
        • simcall_HANDLER_<name>(simcall, <args>) (the manual code handling the simcall)
        • If the simcall is not marked as "blocking" in its definition, call SIMIX_simcall_answer(simcall) that adds back the issuer process to the list of processes to run in the next scheduling round. It is thus the responsability of the blocking simcalls to call SIMIX_simcall_answer(simcall) themselves in their handler.

Note that empty HANDLERs can be omitted. These functions usually do some parameter checking, or retrieve some information about the simcall issuer, but when there no need for such things, the handler can be omited. In that case, we directly call the function simcall_<name>(<args>).

To simplify the simcall creation, a python script generates most of the code and give helpers for the remaining stuff. That script reads the simcall definitions from src/simix/simcalls.in, checks that both simcall_<name>() and simcall_HANDLER() are defined somewhere, and generates the following files:

  • smx_popping_accessors.h: Helper functions to get and set simcall arguments and results
  • smx_popping_bodies.c: The BODY function of each simcall
  • smx_popping_enum.c: Definition of type enum e_smx_simcall_t (one value per existing simcall)
  • smx_popping_generated.c: Definitions of simcall_names[] (debug name of each simcall), and SIMIX_simcall_enter() that deals with the simcall from within the kernel

The simcall.in file list all the simcalls in sections. A line starting by "##" define a new section which will be replace by a "ifdef" in the generated code. There is a simcall by line which follow this format:

Simcall -> Name HasAnswer Res Args
Name -> [a-z0-9_]+
Has_Answer -> "True" | "False"
Res -> "(" Type MaybeCast ")"
Args -> Args Arg | Arg
Arg -> "(" Name "," Type MaybeCast ")"
Type -> "char" | "const char*" | "int" | "long" | "unsigned char" | "unsigned short" | "unsigned int" | "unsigned long" | "float" | "double" | "void*" | "FPtr" | "const void*" | "size_t" | "sg_size_t" | "void" | "void*"
MaybeCast -> "," Cast | ""
Cast -> [a-z0-9_* ]+

What is How to add a new tag for xml files?

Search for expression "TUTORIAL: New TAG".

user@caraja:~/workspace/simgrid/src$ cg "TUTORIAL: New TAG"
0 surf/sg_platf.c                    43 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
1 surf/sg_platf.c                    89 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
2 surf/sg_platf.c                   124 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
3 surf/sg_platf.c                   337 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
4 surf/surfxml_parse.c              769 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
5 surf/surf_private.h               205 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
6 surf/surfxml_parseplatf.c          64 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
7 surf/surfxml_parseplatf.c          85 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/
8 include/simgrid/platf_interface.h  42 /* TUTORIAL: New TAG*/