[RFC PATCH 0/7] Add script for real-time telemetry monitoring

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:52:15 +0000
Bruce Richardson <bruce.richardson at intel.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 12, 2025 at 02:32:49PM +0900, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> > On Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:55:25 +0000
> > Bruce Richardson <bruce.richardson at intel.com> wrote:
> >   
> > > TL;DR
> > > ------
> > > 
> > > For a  quick demo, apply patces, run e.g. testpmd and then in a separate
> > > terminal run:
> > > 
> > >   ./usertools/dpdk-telemetry-watcher.py -d1T eth.tx
> > > 
> > > Output, updated once per second, will be traffic rate per port e.g.:
> > > 
> > > Connected to application: "dpdk-testpmd"
> > > Time       /ethdev/stats,0.opackets /ethdev/stats,1.opackets        Total
> > > 16:29:12                  5,213,119                5,214,304   10,427,423
> > > 
> > >   
> <snip>
> > > 
> > >  usertools/dpdk-telemetry-watcher.py | 429 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > >  usertools/meson.build               |   1 +
> > >  2 files changed, 430 insertions(+)
> > >  create mode 100755 usertools/dpdk-telemetry-watcher.py
> > > 
> > > --
> > > 2.51.0  
> > 
> > 
> > The TUI patch was
> > https://patchwork.dpdk.org/project/dpdk/patch/20220831115250.362189-2-conor.walsh@intel.com/
> >  
> 
> Took a look at that patch proposal, and here are some of the main
> differences between the two scripts:
> 
> * the telemetry-tui is a full-screen app which is a lot prettier and
>   probably much more suitable for non-experts.
> * the script I provided is FAR less user friendly and operates at a much
>   more "techie" level
> * on the other hand, it's more flexible because of that:
>   - can be used to display any numeric stats - the tui is hard-coded to show
>     particular NIC stats - including e.g. cryptodev, or dmadev ones
>   - can show deltas and totals as desired
>   - can quit after a certain fixed amount of time
> * my script is probably more limited in terms of what can be displayed,
>   since it assumes that you want one-line of output per update. TUI
>   displays lots of (fixed)stats simultaneously
> * TUI as proposed has a few glitches - got a divide by zero error when run
>   against a testpmd instance that didn't have traffic running, so all stats
>   were zero. (That's an easy fix though)
> * The new script I propose has one major feature that I would look to add
>   to the TUI if we merged that - the reconnection support. I find it very
>   handy to run the watcher script and leave it running while I start and
>   stop whatever app(s) I'm using.
> * My script has no additional dependencies beyond stock python, while the
>   TUI requires one additional dependency "rich" to manage the TUI. It also
>   can use a second dependency "plotext" (not Ubuntu packaged) to display
>   charts if so desired.
> 
> Just my quick assessment of the two from a quick try of the TUI one.
> 
> /Bruce

It is not a case of A or B. Both tools are useful.
I can see uses for both. But original submission of TUI seems to have
been a one off patch with no long term followup