Retrieving event data for logical partitions

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, retrieve event data from a processor for sampling intervals, where the sampling intervals are evenly distributed, but the control points at which the event data is retrieved are unevenly distributed. The processor executes instructions for logical partitions, and the event data is associated with events that are detected by the processor during the sampling intervals. In response to an interrupt received from the processor at the control point, a determination is made whether the sample point has been reached. If the sample point has been reached, the event data is retrieved from the processor and an event counter is reset to a value that is calculated to cause the processor to include an identical number of the events in the sampling intervals. The value is calculated based on the event counter at the time control point, the event counter at a time of the sample point, and the number of events in the sampling interval. In this way, an even distribution of event data may be collected when the processor is allocated to multiple partitions in a logically-partitioned system.