QPoints

QPoints is a tool to generate a gem5 compatible checkpoints using QEMU. This tool currently works for only ARM system. This tool was created to reduce time spent in reaching a state state of long running applcations.

Requirements:

1. QEMU
2. Docker
3. Python3
   • Jinja2 python module
4. gdb-multiarch
5. A disk image
6. (Optional) ARM Powered Apple Mac system. Needed this only to accelerate emulation.

Setup:

1. Install docker, git, qemu-system packages on your host machine

   sudo apt-get install git docker qemu-system
   

2. Run setup script which sets up directoris and builds a docker image

   bash setup.sh
   

3. Download a disk image from Google Drive. Download script works in docker environment. Follow below steps do get the image.

   bash run_docker.sh
   bash imgs/download_image.sh
   exit
   

   After running above set of commands imgs folder contains ubuntu-arm.img disk image.

   Ubuntu image login user is bgodala and password is 1234.

Steps to create a checkpoint:

1. Launch QEMU emulation using the run_ubuntu_linux.sh file

   bash run_ubuntu.sh
   

2. After reaching a steady state invoke the following command to create a checkpoint. gen_snapshot.sh command works in the docker environment. Start the docker and then invoke checkpoint generation command.

   bash run_docker.sh
   bash gen_snapshot.sh
   exit
   

Test Checkpoint:

1. To test checkpoint gem5 needs to be built. Use the following command to build gem5.

   Start docker environment.

   bash run_gem5_docker.sh
   

   Build gem5.

   cd gem5
   scons -j8 build/ARM/gem5.opt
   exit
   

2. Run checkpoint in the docker environment.

   bash run_gem5_docker.sh
   bash run_gem5.sh
   exit