msprof-op-simulator-insight

name	msprof-op-simulator-insight
description	Compile and profile PTOAS-generated kernel sources with `msprof op simulator`, then export MindStudio Insight files. Use when Codex needs to build a host runner, run A3 `dav_2201` op simulator collection, resolve mangled kernel symbols, export `trace.json` or `visualize_data.bin`, or troubleshoot simulator dump/export paths.

Msprof Op Simulator Insight

Use this skill from WSL and run commands from the repo root. Execute the build, collect, and export commands directly.

Workflow

1. Run from WSL after source /usr/local/Ascend/cann/set_env.sh.
2. Run commands from the repo root when possible so source paths can stay relative.
3. Prefer a Linux-local run directory under ~/...; do not run the produced binary from /mnt/....
4. Build a host runner executable that launches the target kernel and points at the generated source.
5. Locate the application binary and shared library that contain the kernel symbol.
6. Resolve the real mangled kernel symbol from that shared library.
7. Collect raw data with msprof op simulator.
8. Export from .../device0/tmp_dump to generate Insight files.

Important Details

• msprof op simulator collection does not create trace.json by itself. Always run the export step.
• --export must target .../device0/tmp_dump, not the top-level out/ directory.
• --kernel-name must match the exact exported mangled symbol. A bare kernel base name is often filtered out.
• If multiple exported symbols demangle to the same base name, choose the one whose full demangled signature matches the intended kernel entry, or set KERNEL_SYMBOL manually.
• RUN_ROOT is the working directory for one profiling session. It holds build artifacts, raw collect output, logs, and exported Insight files.
• APPLICATION is the host runner executable you built. msprof does not generate this path for you.
• Large generated kernels can take a long time on dav_2201; use a generous --timeout.
• Exported files usually include simulator/trace.json, simulator/visualize_data.bin, simulator/core*.*/trace.json, and simulator/core*.*/core*_instr_exe_*.csv.
• If export warns that tmp_dump lacks pc_start_addr.txt, copy it from .../device0/<kernel>/0/dump/pc_start_addr.txt into tmp_dump first.

Full Run Template

Adjust SOURCE_CPP, KERNEL_BASE_NAME, RUN_ROOT, and runner build variables:

cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
source /usr/local/Ascend/cann/set_env.sh

SOURCE_CPP=./your-kernel.cpp
KERNEL_BASE_NAME=your_kernel_base_name
SOC_VERSION=dav_2201
TIMEOUT_MINUTES=120
RUN_TAG="${KERNEL_BASE_NAME}_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
RUN_ROOT=~/msprof-op-simulator-runs/"$RUN_TAG"
RUNNER_CMAKE_DIR=./path-to-runner-project
RUNNER_TARGET=your_runner_target
APPLICATION_RELATIVE_PATH="bin/$RUNNER_TARGET"
KERNEL_LIB_RELATIVE_PATH="lib/your_kernel_library.so"

BUILD_DIR="$RUN_ROOT/build"
COLLECT_DIR="$RUN_ROOT/msprof_run_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
ASCEND_HOME_PATH="${ASCEND_HOME_PATH:-/usr/local/Ascend/cann-9.0.0-beta.1}"
SIM_LIB_DIR="$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/x86_64-linux/simulator/$SOC_VERSION/lib"
BASE_LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/lib64:$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/devlib:$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/x86_64-linux/devlib:$SIM_LIB_DIR:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:-}"

mkdir -p "$RUN_ROOT"

cmake -G Ninja \
  -S "$RUNNER_CMAKE_DIR" \
  -B "$BUILD_DIR" \
  -DNATIVE_CPP="$(realpath "$SOURCE_CPP")"

cmake --build "$BUILD_DIR" --target "$RUNNER_TARGET" -v

APPLICATION="$BUILD_DIR/$APPLICATION_RELATIVE_PATH"
KERNEL_LIB="$BUILD_DIR/$KERNEL_LIB_RELATIVE_PATH"

if [[ ! -x "$APPLICATION" ]]; then
  echo "Missing application binary: $APPLICATION" >&2
  exit 1
fi

if [[ ! -f "$KERNEL_LIB" ]]; then
  echo "Missing kernel library: $KERNEL_LIB" >&2
  exit 1
fi

KERNEL_SYMBOL="$(
  nm -D "$KERNEL_LIB" | awk '/ [TW] / {print $3}' | while read -r candidate; do
    demangled="$(c++filt "$candidate" 2>/dev/null || true)"
    if [[ "$demangled" == "$KERNEL_BASE_NAME("* ]]; then
      printf '%s\n' "$candidate"
    fi
  done | head -n 1
)"

if [[ -z "$KERNEL_SYMBOL" ]]; then
  echo "Failed to resolve mangled kernel symbol for $KERNEL_BASE_NAME" >&2
  exit 1
fi

echo "Resolved kernel symbol: $KERNEL_SYMBOL"

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$(dirname "$KERNEL_LIB"):$BASE_LD_LIBRARY_PATH"

msprof op simulator \
  --application="$APPLICATION" \
  --kernel-name="$KERNEL_SYMBOL" \
  --launch-count=1 \
  --soc-version="$SOC_VERSION" \
  --timeout="$TIMEOUT_MINUTES" \
  --output="$COLLECT_DIR/out" \
  2>&1 | tee "$COLLECT_DIR/msprof_collect.log"

The important alignment is:

• RUNNER_TARGET is the build target CMake compiles.
• APPLICATION_RELATIVE_PATH is where that executable lands under BUILD_DIR.
• KERNEL_LIB_RELATIVE_PATH is the shared library under BUILD_DIR that exports the kernel symbol.

If the runner is not built by CMake, replace the cmake lines with the actual build command, then set APPLICATION and KERNEL_LIB directly before running nm and msprof.

Inspect all matching symbols when the first match is too loose:

nm -D "$KERNEL_LIB" | awk '/ [TW] / {print $3}' | while read -r candidate; do
  demangled="$(c++filt "$candidate" 2>/dev/null || true)"
  if [[ "$demangled" == "$KERNEL_BASE_NAME("* ]]; then
    printf '%s  # %s\n' "$candidate" "$demangled"
  fi
done

Then set the chosen symbol:

KERNEL_SYMBOL=<exact_mangled_symbol>

Export Existing Collect Data

Use this when raw msprof op simulator output already exists and only Insight files are needed:

cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
source /usr/local/Ascend/cann/set_env.sh

RUN_ROOT=~/msprof-op-simulator-runs/<run-tag>
COLLECT_ROOT="$RUN_ROOT/msprof_run_<timestamp>/out"
EXPORT_ROOT="$RUN_ROOT/insight_export_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"

if [[ -d "$COLLECT_ROOT/device0/tmp_dump" ]]; then
  TMP_DUMP_DIR="$COLLECT_ROOT/device0/tmp_dump"
else
  OPPROF_DIR="$(find "$COLLECT_ROOT" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d -name 'OPPROF_*' | sort | tail -n 1)"
  TMP_DUMP_DIR="$OPPROF_DIR/device0/tmp_dump"
fi

DEVICE0_DIR="$(dirname "$TMP_DUMP_DIR")"
PC_START_FILE="$(find "$DEVICE0_DIR" -path '*/dump/pc_start_addr.txt' | sort | head -n 1 || true)"
if [[ -n "$PC_START_FILE" && -f "$PC_START_FILE" ]]; then
  cp -f "$PC_START_FILE" "$TMP_DUMP_DIR/pc_start_addr.txt"
fi

ASCEND_HOME_PATH="${ASCEND_HOME_PATH:-/usr/local/Ascend/cann-9.0.0-beta.1}"
SIM_LIB_DIR="$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/x86_64-linux/simulator/dav_2201/lib"
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/lib64:$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/devlib:$ASCEND_HOME_PATH/x86_64-linux/devlib:$SIM_LIB_DIR:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:-}"

mkdir -p "$EXPORT_ROOT"

msprof op simulator \
  --export="$TMP_DUMP_DIR" \
  --output="$EXPORT_ROOT" \
  2>&1 | tee "$EXPORT_ROOT/msprof_export.log"

find "$EXPORT_ROOT" \
  \( -path '*/simulator/trace.json' -o -path '*/simulator/visualize_data.bin' \) \
  | sort

Quick Checks

• Confirm collect produced an OPPROF_* directory under out/.
• Confirm export produced simulator/trace.json and simulator/visualize_data.bin.
• If export fails with Failed to get any available dump file to parse, point --export to tmp_dump.
• If export warns about missing debug_line, the trace can still be valid; it only lacks source-level call stack data.