Registering Statistics with System Monitor

System Monitor is a tool in Windows® 95 that graphically displays a number of system performance statistics. This documentation describes how other drivers can report data to the System Monitor.

Any VxD can report statistics that will be displayed in the System Monitor user interface. To do so, the VxD must do the following:

  1. Register itself as a stat server by calling the PERF_Server_Register (usually done at VxD load time)
  2. Register one or more statistics by calling PERF_Server_Add_Stat for each statistic (usually done immediately after calling PERF_Server_Register)
  3. Unregister the stat server when the VxD unloads

Both static and dynamic VxDs may use the service; stat servers and statistics may be added and removed at any time.

Statistics are obtained in one of two ways, depending on information passed in the PERF_Server_Add_Stat call. Normally the pst0_pStatFunc contains a ring 0 pointer to a DWORD that contains the data to be displayed. The PERF VxD simply dereferences the pointer and retrieves the data whenever it is requested by the UI client. This places the lowest overhead on the stat server VxD and on the system. If the PSTF_FUNCPTR flag is set, however, the pst0_pStatFunc member should be a ring 0 pointer to a function with no parameters that returns the data value in EAX. This is useful if data is expensive to calculate; then the data is only calculated when requested.

Another useful flag in stat creation is PSTF_RATE, which causes the client to automatically differentiate the reported value by time. For instance, if a driver wishes to report throughput in bytes/sec, it can keep a counter of the bytes it processes in a DWORD and increment the DWORD whenever it processes data. If the PSTF_RATE flag is set then UI clients will divide by elapsed time to arrive at bytes/sec. This is also useful because it allows multiple clients to poll for data at different times and always get correct data.

The perf.h header file and example code example.asm (as shown in the following) illustrate the details of how to implement this.

 
/*********************************************************************
 *   (C) Copyright MICROSOFT Corp., 1993-1995
 *   Title:     PERF.H - Include file for perf monitor
 *   Version:   1.00
 *   Date:
 *   Author:  FCF
 *----------------------------------------------------------------------
 *   Change log:
 *   DATE        REV DESCRIPTION
 *   ----------- --- ---------------------------------------------------
 */

/* defines */

#define MAXNAMELEN      50  /* maximum number of characters in
                   service name, stat name, or key names */
#define MAXCOMPLEXSUBSTAT  8  /* maximum number of stats making
                   up a complex stat */
  
/* structures and flags used for the ring-0 interface */

struct perf_server_0 {
    unsigned long  psrv0_Level;  /* Must be zero for this level */
    unsigned long  psrv0_Flags;
    char          *psrv0_pszServerName;
    char         *psrv0_pszServerNodeName;
    void         *psrv0_pControlFunc;
};

struct perf_stat_0 {
    unsigned long  pst0_Level;  /* Must be zero for this level */
    unsigned long  pst0_Flags;
    char         *pst0_pszStatName;
    char         *pst0_pszStatNodeName;
    char         *pst0_reserved;      // must be NULL
    char         *pst0_pszStatDescription;
    void         *pst0_pStatFunc;
  unsigned long  pst0_ScaleFactor;  // set PSTF_FACTOR_xxx flag to use
};

/* Values for psrv0_Flags follow */

/* Values for pst0_Flags follow */

/* pst0_pStatFunc points either directly to data (always a DWORD for now) */
/* or, if PSTF_FUNCPTR_BIT is set, to a _cdecl function.  This function   */
/* accepts a stat handle as it's argument and returns the stat in eax     */

#define PSTF_FUNCPTR    0x00000001

The data referenced by this stat is always a counter, for example, number of bytes read. It is up to the client to differentiate this into a rate. If PSTF_RATE is set, then the text associated with this stat assumes that the stat will be differentiated with respect to time. It's possible that two stats will refer to the same data - one with this bit set and one without, with help text appropriate for each.

#define PSTF_COUNT    0x00000000
#define PSTF_RATE    0x00000002

/* If either of these flags are set, then the output will be scaled
   (either multiplied or divided) by pst0_ScaleFactor.  */
#define PSTF_FACTOR_MULTIPLY  0x00000040
#define PSTF_FACTOR_DIVIDE    0x00000080

/* XLATOFF */

unsigned long PERF_Server_Register( struct perf_server_0 * );
void PERF_Server_Deregister( unsigned long hReg );
unsigned long PERF_Server_Add_Stat( unsigned long hReg, struct perf_stat_0 );
void PERF_Server_Remove_Stat( unsigned long hStat );

/* XLATON */

Control messages sent to perf server's control function. The control function is optional, set it to NULL if you don't want any control messages. Perf servers are free to ignore any messages they want. Control functions take two DWORD parameters; a message (dwMsg) and a DWORD of message-dependent data (dwData).

The following defines are values for dwMsg:

#define PMSG_START_STAT        0x11
#define PMSG_STOP_STAT        0x12

PMSG_START_STAT: Notifies that a perf client is going to start watching this stat. dwData contains the stat handle.

PMSG_STOP_STAT: Notifies that a perf client is no longer watching this stat. dwData contains the stat handle. Stats that are expensive to maintain should only be kept while some- one is watching them. Note that there can be more than one stat client, so do not simply stop keeping track of a stat if you receive a PMSG_STOP_STAT. The server should keep a counter of the number of PMSG_START_STAT's it receives for a particular counter, decrement it for each PMSG_STOP_STAT and stop keeping track of the stat when the counter reaches zero. Most stats are trivial to maintain and just involve incrementing a counter. For stats like these, perf servers should always increment the counter and ignore messages to start and stop.

/* ASM

; Ring-0 macros to aid stat registration

Reg_Perf_Srv MACRO level:REQ, flags:REQ, servername:REQ, nodename:REQ, controlfunc:REQ
  local  nothere
  VxDCall  PERF_Get_Version
  or  eax, eax
  jz  nothere

  IF (OPATTR(controlfunc)) AND 00010000y   ;; register
    push  controlfunc
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 controlfunc
  ENDIF

  IF (OPATTR(nodename)) AND 00010000y    ;; register
    push  nodename
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 nodename
  ENDIF

  IF (OPATTR(servername)) AND 00010000y    ;; register
    push  servername
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 servername
  ENDIF
  
  push  flags
        push  level
  push  esp
  VxDCall  PERF_Server_Register
  add  esp, 6*4
nothere:
  ENDM

Reg_Perf_Stat MACRO srvhandle:REQ, level:REQ, flags:REQ, name:REQ, nodename:REQ, reserved:REQ, desc:REQ, func:REQ
  IF (OPATTR(func)) AND 00010000y    ;; register
    push  func
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 func
  ENDIF

  IF (OPATTR(desc)) AND 00010000y    ;; register
    push  desc
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 desc
  ENDIF

  IF (OPATTR(reserved)) AND 00010000y  ;; register
    push  reserved
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 reserved
  ENDIF

  IF (OPATTR(nodename)) AND 00010000y  ;; register
    push  nodename
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 nodename
  ENDIF

  IF (OPATTR(name)) AND 00010000y    ;; register
    push  name
  ELSE
    push  OFFSET32 name
  ENDIF
  
  push  flags
  push  level
  push  esp
  push  srvhandle
  VxDCall  PERF_Server_Add_Stat
  add  esp, 9*4
  ENDM

Begin_Service_Table PERF
PERF_Service PERF_Get_Version, LOCAL
PERF_Service PERF_Server_Register, LOCAL
PERF_Service PERF_Server_Deregister, LOCAL
PERF_Service PERF_Server_Add_Stat, LOCAL
PERF_Service PERF_Server_Remove_Stat, LOCAL
End_Service_Table PERF

*/

#define HKEY_PERF_ROOT      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
#define PERF_REG_KEY      "System\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\PerfStats\\Enum"
#define PERF_REG_OTHER_KEY    "System\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\PerfStats\\Other"
#define PERF_REG_NAME_SRV_NAME    "Name"
#define PERF_REG_NAME_VXD_NAME    "VxDName"
#define PERF_REG_NAME_STAT_NAME    "Name"
#define PERF_REG_NAME_STAT_COMPLEX  "Complex"
#define PERF_REG_NAME_STAT_DESC    "Description"
#define PERF_REG_NAME_STAT_DIFF    "Differentiate"

#define PERF_REG_VAL_STAT_TRUE    "TRUE"
#define PERF_REG_VAL_STAT_FALSE    "FALSE"
#define PERF_STAT_PREFIX      "STAT"

/* complex stat defines */

#define PSTF_COMPLEX    0x00000100

PSTF_COMPLEX specifies that this is a complex stat. Complex stats have no data of their own, they specify a list of handles to other stats. The values of the other stats in the list are retrieved and added together and the resulting sum displayed. The pst0_pStatFunc member points to an array of stat handles, where the handle values were obtained by previous calls to PERF_Server_Add_Stat. The array is terminated by a NULL handle.

  PAGE 58,132
;***************************************************************
TITLE Example.Asm - VxD performance gathering component
;***************************************************************

  .386p

;***************************************************************
;            I N C L U D E S
;***************************************************************

  .XLIST
  INCLUDE VMM.Inc
  INCLUDE Debug.Inc
  INCLUDE OptTest.Inc

  Create_FakeStat_Service_Table EQU VMM_TRUE

  INCLUDE Perf.Inc
        INCLUDE VWin32.Inc
  INCLUDE WinError.Inc

  .LIST

;**********************************************************************
;    V I R T U A L  D E V I C E   D E C L A R A T I O N
;**********************************************************************

Begin_Service_Table FAKESTAT
FAKESTAT_Service FAKESTAT_Get_Version, LOCAL
End_Service_Table FAKESTAT

FakeStat_Device_ID EQU 44h
FakeStat_Init_Order EQU 06500000h

Declare_Virtual_Device FAKESTAT, 4, 00h, FakeStat_Control, FakeStat_Device_ID, \
           FakeStat_Init_Order, ,

;**********************************************************************
;            E Q U A T E S
;**********************************************************************

;**********************************************************************
;**********************************************************************


VxD_IDATA_SEG
  ; NOTE: Strings are not int'l correct for brevity of this example.
        ; Windows 95 VxDs should use message tables and message macros 
        ; for strings.

        ; UI names
  szSrvName    db  "Fake Performance Data",0
        szStatNameRead    db  "Fake Reads/sec",0
        szStatNameWrite    db  "Fake Writes/sec",0
        szStatNameTotal    db  "Total Fake Stuff/sec",0

  ; stat explanations (optional)
        szReadDesc    db  "Fake stuff read per second.",0
        szWriteDesc    db  "Fake stuff written per second.",0
        szTotalDesc    db  "Fake stuff read and written per second.",0

  ; registry key names
        szStatSrvKeyname  db  "FAKE",0
  szStatKeynameRead  db  "FReadSec",0
  szStatKeynameWrite  db  "FWriteSec",0
  szStatKeynameTotal  db  "FTotalSec",0

VxD_IDATA_ENDS


VxD_PAGEABLE_DATA_SEG
  ALIGN 4
  hPerfID    DWORD   0  ; perf server handle

        dwReadCounter  DWORD  1024  ; perf stat counters
        dwWriteCounter  DWORD  4096
  
VxD_PAGEABLE_DATA_ENDS

VxD_LOCKED_DATA_SEG


VxD_LOCKED_DATA_ENDS


;**********************************************************************

  .SALL

  PAGE
;**********************************************************************
;      R E A L   M O D E   I N I T  C O D E
;**********************************************************************

VxD_REAL_INIT_SEG

BeginProc FakeStat_Real_Init

  xor  si, si

  test  bx, Duplicate_From_INT2F OR Duplicate_Device_ID
  jnz  SHORT RI_Abort_Load

  xor  bx, bx
  xor  edx, edx
  mov  ax, Device_Load_Ok
  ret

RI_Abort_Load:
  xor  bx, bx
  mov  ax, Abort_Device_Load + No_Fail_Message
  ret

EndProc FakeStat_Real_Init

VxD_REAL_INIT_ENDS


  PAGE
;**********************************************************************
;         P R O T E C T E D   M O D E   I N I T   C O D E
;**********************************************************************

VxD_ICODE_SEG

BeginProc FAKESTAT_Sys_Critical_Init

  clc
  ret

EndProc FAKESTAT_Sys_Critical_Init

BeginProc FAKESTAT_Device_Init
        LocalVar hStatNull, DWORD
        LocalVar hStat2, DWORD
  LocalVar hStat1, DWORD
  EnterProc

ifdef DEBUG
  Trace_Out "FAKESTAT: Loading"
endif

        ; register us as a perf client
  Reg_Perf_Srv 0,PSTF_RATE,szSrvName,szStatSrvKeyname,FakeStat_StatControl
  or eax,eax
        jz fdi10
  mov hPerfId,eax

  ; register 1st stat  (reads/sec)
        Reg_Perf_Stat eax,0,PSTF_RATE,szStatNameRead,szStatKeynameRead,0,szReadDesc,dwReadCounter
  mov [hStat1],eax

  ; register 2nd stat  (writes/sec)
  mov eax,hPerfID
        Reg_Perf_Stat eax,0,PSTF_RATE,szStatNameWrite,szStatKeynameWrite,0,szWriteDesc,dwWriteCounter
  mov [hStat2],eax

        ; register 3rd stat  (total/sec)
        ; this is a complex stat made up of reads/sec + writes/sec--
        ; specified by list of stats (hStat1 & hStat2)
        mov eax,hPerfID
        mov [hStatNull],0  ; null-terminate list of stats
        lea edx,hStat1
        Reg_Perf_Stat eax,0,PSTF_RATE | PSTF_COMPLEX,szStatNameTotal,szStatKeynameTotal,0,szTotalDesc,edx

fdi10:
  clc
        LeaveProc
  Return

EndProc FAKESTAT_Device_Init


VxD_ICODE_ENDS

  PAGE
;**********************************************************************
;        P R O T E C T E D   M O D E   R E S I D E N T   C O D E
;**********************************************************************

VxD_LOCKED_CODE_SEG

BeginProc FakeStat_Control

  Control_Dispatch Sys_Critical_Init,   FAKESTAT_Sys_Critical_Init
  Control_Dispatch Device_Init,    FAKESTAT_Device_Init
        Control_Dispatch Sys_Dynamic_Device_Init, FAKESTAT_Device_Init
        Control_Dispatch Sys_Dynamic_Device_Exit, FAKESTAT_System_Exit
  Control_Dispatch System_Exit,    FAKESTAT_System_Exit

IFDEF DEBUG
  Control_Dispatch Debug_Query, FAKESTAT_Debug_Query
ENDIF

  clc
  ret

EndProc FakeStat_Control

VxD_LOCKED_CODE_ENDS
VxD_PAGEABLE_CODE_SEG


;**********************************************************************
;           S E R V I C E S
;**********************************************************************

BeginProc FAKESTAT_System_Exit

  ; De-register perf client (this will also de-register stats)
ifdef DEBUG
        Trace_Out "FAKESTAT: Unloading"
endif

  ; make sure perf.386 is still there, if we're loaded dynamically and
        ; "stuck" (caller died or failed to unload us) we can unload after
        ; perf
  VxDCall  PERF_Get_Version
  or  eax, eax
  jz  fse40
         mov eax,hPerfID
  cmp eax,0
        je  fse40
        push eax
        VxDCall PERF_Server_Deregister
        add esp,4
fse40:
        clc
  ret

EndProc FAKESTAT_System_Exit

BeginProc FAKESTAT_Get_Version, Service

  mov  eax, 400h      ; Version 4.0
  clc
  ret

EndProc FAKESTAT_Get_Version

Control function for our perf server. Receives stat turn-on and turn-off notification messages when client is interested in looking at stat. If it's cheap and easy to just always update the stat, you can ignore these messages or not register a control function. For stats that are expensive to update, it's best to only update them while someone is looking at them. Since there can be more than one perf client, if you process control functions you should keep a counter for each stat and increment it with every PMSG_START_STAT and decrement it for each PMSG_STOP_STAT that that stat receives (and stop updating the stat when the client count reaches zero).

BeginProc FakeStat_StatControl
  ArgVar  dwMsg, DWORD  ; the control message (PMSG_xxx)
  ArgVar  dwData, DWORD   ; stat handle

  EnterProc

  cmp dwMsg,PMSG_START_STAT
        jnz fsc10

  Trace_Out "FAKESTAT: Got stat start msg"
  ; do stat-starting stuff here

        jmp fsc20

fsc10:
        ; PMSG_STOP_STAT
  
  Trace_Out "FAKESTAT: Got stat stop msg"
  ; do stat-stopping stuff here

fsc20:  LeaveProc
        Return

EndProc FakeStat_StatControl

VxD_PAGEABLE_CODE_ENDS

  PAGE
;***************************************************************
;     D E B U G G I N G   C O D E
;***************************************************************


IFDEF DEBUG
VxD_LOCKED_CODE_SEG

;***************************************************************
;
;   FakeStat_Debug_Query
;
;   DESCRIPTION:
;
;   ENTRY:
;
;   EXIT:
;
;   USES:
;
;=======================================================================


BeginProc FakeStat_Debug_Query

PF_DQ_Exit:
  clc
  ret

EndProc FakeStat_Debug_Query


VxD_LOCKED_CODE_ENDS
ENDIF

  END FakeStat_Real_Init