Difference between revisions of "Support for Debugging Memory Allocation"
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== Heap Allocation Debugging == | == Heap Allocation Debugging == | ||
| − | The | + | The MPICH code contains built-in support for tracing and verifying memory allocation. To make use of this support, configure with <code>--enable-g=mem</code> (you may combine <code>mem</code> with other debugging options, such as <code>--enable-g=dbg,log,mem</code>). |
The following environment variables, if they are set to the value <code>YES</code> or <code>yes</code>, will change the behavior of the memory allocation routines: | The following environment variables, if they are set to the value <code>YES</code> or <code>yes</code>, will change the behavior of the memory allocation routines: | ||
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== Handle Allocation Debugging == | == Handle Allocation Debugging == | ||
| − | + | MPICH also contains separate facilities for allocating object handles (such as <code>MPI_Comm</code>'s) and the associated underlying object. Similarly, these facilities have debugging code to help with memory errors that is enabled via <code>--enable-g=mem</code>. You should also add <code>meminit</code> if you intend to debug with valgrind ([[#Valgrind_Integration|see below]]) | |
Newly allocated handles will be filled with <code>0xef</code>. Freed handles will be filled with <code>0xec</code>. | Newly allocated handles will be filled with <code>0xef</code>. Freed handles will be filled with <code>0xec</code>. | ||
== Valgrind Integration == | == Valgrind Integration == | ||
| − | The old version of the memory debugging code interfered with valgrind's ability to detect uninitialized data. As of {{changeset|3255}} | + | The old version of the memory debugging code interfered with valgrind's ability to detect uninitialized data. As of {{changeset|3255}} MPICH contains [http://valgrind.org/docs/manual/manual-core-adv.html#manual-core-adv.clientreq Valgrind Client Requests] to prevent this problem when configured with <code>--enable-g=meminit</code>. |
If <code>valgrind.h</code> and <code>memcheck.h</code> are not in your default path you will need to add that include path to your configure line. | If <code>valgrind.h</code> and <code>memcheck.h</code> are not in your default path you will need to add that include path to your configure line. | ||
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For example: | For example: | ||
<pre><nowiki> | <pre><nowiki> | ||
| − | ./configure --prefix=/sandbox/goodell/ | + | ./configure --prefix=/sandbox/goodell/mpich-installed --enable-g=dbg,mem,meminit CPPFLAGS='-I/usr/include/valgrind' |
</nowiki></pre> | </nowiki></pre> | ||
| − | If configure can't find these two headers then valgrind may not report certain types of errors when <code>--enable-g=mem</code> is specified. Also, if you intend to use valgrind with | + | If configure can't find these two headers then valgrind may not report certain types of errors when <code>--enable-g=mem</code> is specified. Also, if you intend to use valgrind with MPICH you should generally configure with <code>--enable-g=dbg,meminit</code> at the very least. This will get you stack traces and prevent several known false positives from being reported as well as the false negative prevention that has been mentioned. |
[[Category:Design Documents]] | [[Category:Design Documents]] | ||
<!-- vim: set ft=wikipedia : --> | <!-- vim: set ft=wikipedia : --> | ||
Latest revision as of 16:23, 10 November 2012
Heap Allocation Debugging
The MPICH code contains built-in support for tracing and verifying memory allocation. To make use of this support, configure with --enable-g=mem (you may combine mem with other debugging options, such as --enable-g=dbg,log,mem).
The following environment variables, if they are set to the value YES or yes, will change the behavior of the memory allocation routines:
MPICH_TRMEM_VALIDATE- Validate all of the allocated memory, checking for damaged headers or overwritten memory sentinels, every time memory is allocated or freed.
MPICH_TRMEM_INITZERO- Initialize allocated and freed memory to zero. Normally, the memory is initialized to
0xdato help detect references to uninitialized memory. Freed memory is filled with0xfcto help detect reads/writes from/to deallocated memory.
During MPI_Finalize, any memory allocated but not freed will be written out.
Handle Allocation Debugging
MPICH also contains separate facilities for allocating object handles (such as MPI_Comm's) and the associated underlying object. Similarly, these facilities have debugging code to help with memory errors that is enabled via --enable-g=mem. You should also add meminit if you intend to debug with valgrind (see below)
Newly allocated handles will be filled with 0xef. Freed handles will be filled with 0xec.
Valgrind Integration
The old version of the memory debugging code interfered with valgrind's ability to detect uninitialized data. As of r3255 MPICH contains Valgrind Client Requests to prevent this problem when configured with --enable-g=meminit.
If valgrind.h and memcheck.h are not in your default path you will need to add that include path to your configure line.
./configure [your_args_here] --enable-g=meminit CPPFLAGS='-I/path/to/valgrind/includes'
For example:
./configure --prefix=/sandbox/goodell/mpich-installed --enable-g=dbg,mem,meminit CPPFLAGS='-I/usr/include/valgrind'
If configure can't find these two headers then valgrind may not report certain types of errors when --enable-g=mem is specified. Also, if you intend to use valgrind with MPICH you should generally configure with --enable-g=dbg,meminit at the very least. This will get you stack traces and prevent several known false positives from being reported as well as the false negative prevention that has been mentioned.
