Overview

msSanitizer is an exception detection tool based on Ascend AI Processor. It provides three functions: memory check, contention check, and uninitialization check. After testing the operator functions in a real-world hardware environment by using the msOpST tool, you can determine whether to use the msSanitizer tool for exception detection based on the actual test situation.

Memory check: During operator development, the tool can locate memory problems such as illegal read/write, multi-core corruption, non-aligned access, memory leak, and illegal release. In addition, the tool can detect the memory of the CANN software stack, helping users locate the module with memory exception in the software stack.
Contention check: The tool helps users locate data contention problems that may be caused by contention risks, including intra-core contention and inter-core contention. Intra-core contention includes inter-pipeline contention and intra-pipeline contention.
Uninitialization check: The tool helps users locate dirty data read problems that may be caused by uninitialized memory.

msSanitizer cannot detect exceptions for multi-thread operators, level-2 pointer operators, and vector computation instructions that use masks.

Features

msSanitizer provides different error detection functions. The following functions are supported:

**Table 1** msSanitizer functions
Use Cases	Example	Sample
Operator memory check	Memory Check	msSanitizer supports memory and contention check of Ascend C operators (including Vector, Cube, and Mix fusion operators) called by kernel launch symbols. For details, see Memory Check. msSanitizer supports memory and contention check of Ascend C operators (including Vector, Cube, and Mix fusion operators) called by AscendCL. For details, see Contention Check.
Operator contention check	Contention Check
Operator uninitialization check	Uninitialization Check	msSanitizer supports uninitialization detection of Ascend C operators (including Vector, Cube, and Mix fusion operators) called by AscendCL. For details, see Uninitialization Check.
Memory check of the CANN software stack	Memory Check	For details, see Checking the Memory of the CANN Software Stack.

Commands

You can run the following command to call msSanitizer:

mssanitizer <options> -- <user_program> <user_options>

options is the command line option of the detection tool. For details about the available options and their default values, see Table 2 and Table 3. user_program indicates the user operator program, and user_options indicates the command line option of the user program.
If the executable file or user-defined program to be loaded contains command line options, use -- to separate the detection tool from the user command before the executable file or applications.
```
mssanitizer -- application parameter1 parameter2 ...
```
Ensure the security of executable files and user-defined applications.
You need to ensure the execution security of executable files or applications.
- You are advised to restrict the operation permission on executable files or applications to avoid privilege escalation risks.
- You are not advised to perform high-risk operations (such as deleting files, deleting directories, changing passwords, and running privilege escalation commands) to avoid security risks.

**Table 2** Common parameters
Parameter	Description	Value	Required
-v, --version	Queries the msSanitizer version.	-	No
-t, --tool	Specifies the sub-tool for exception detection.	memcheck: memory check (default) racecheck: contention detection initcheck: uninitialization check	No
--log-file	Specifies that the detection report is exported to a file.	{file_name}, for example, test_log NOTE: Only digits, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, hyphens (-), periods (.), slashes (/), and underscores (_) are supported. To prevent log leakage, you are advised to restrict the file permission to ensure that only authorized personnel can access the file.	No
--log-level	Specifies the output level of the detection report.	info: outputs running information at the info, warn, and error levels. warn: outputs running information at the warn and error levels (default). error: outputs running information at the error level.	No
--max-debuglog-size	Specifies the maximum size of a single file in the debugging logs output by the detection tool.	The value is an integer ranging from 1 to 10240, in MB. Defaults to 1024. NOTE: --max-debuglog-size=100 indicates that the maximum size of a debug log file is 100 MB.	No
-h, --help	Outputs the help information.	-	No

**Table 3** Memory check options
Parameter	Description	Value	Required
--check-unused-memory	Whether to detect unused allocated memory	yes no (default)	No
--leak-check	Whether to enable memory leak detection	yes no (default)	No
--check-device-heap	Whether to enable device memory detection	yes no (default)	No
--check-cann-heap	Whether to enable memory detection of the CANN software stack	yes no (default)	No

After --check-device-heap or --check-cann-heap is enabled, the kernel is not checked.
The device memory detection and CANN software stack memory detection cannot be enabled at the same time. If they are enabled at the same time, the message "--check-cann-heap and --check-device-heap CANNOT both enabled" is displayed.
The to-be-detected program that is recompiled using the API header file provided by the msSanitizer tool can be used only for leakage detection of AscendCL interfaces and cannot be used for detection of device interfaces.

Call Scenarios

The following operator call scenarios are supported

Kernel launch

For details about how to verify the running of the kernel function, see Kernel Launch. For details, see Checking the Ascend C Operator of the Kernel Launch Symbol.
AscendCL single-operator execution: single-operator API execution scenario

For details about single-operator API execution, see Single-Operator API Calling. For the procedure, see Detecting AscendCL-Called Single Operators.
Third-party framework operator calling: PyTorch framework scenario

For details about how to use to call a single-operator through the PyTorch framework, see "Self-Developed Styleparameter Plugin > OpPlugin Development for Single-Operator Adaptation" in Ascend Extension for PyTorch Suites and Third-Party Libraries . For details, see Checking the Operators Called by a PyTorch API.

Result Files

Result File	Description
mssanitizer_{TIMESTAMP}_{PID}.log	msSanitizer logs generated in the current directory during msSanitizer running. TIMESTAMP indicates the current timestamp, and PID indicates the PID of the current detection tool.
kernel.{PID}.o	Operator cache file generated in the current path during the running of msSanitizer. PID is the PID of the detection tool in use. The operator cache file is used to parse the abnormal call stack. In normal cases, the operator cache file is automatically cleared when msSanitizer exits. When msSanitizer exits abnormally (for example, terminated by pressing CTRL+C), the operator cache file is retained in the file system. The operator cache file contains the debugging information of the operator. You are advised to restrict the access permission of other users to the file, and delete the file as soon as possible after the detection tool is executed.

Result File

Description

mssanitizer_{TIMESTAMP}_{PID}.log

msSanitizer logs generated in the current directory during msSanitizer running. TIMESTAMP indicates the current timestamp, and PID indicates the PID of the current detection tool.

kernel.{PID}.o

Operator cache file generated in the current path during the running of msSanitizer. PID is the PID of the detection tool in use. The operator cache file is used to parse the abnormal call stack.

In normal cases, the operator cache file is automatically cleared when msSanitizer exits.
When msSanitizer exits abnormally (for example, terminated by pressing CTRL+C), the operator cache file is retained in the file system. The operator cache file contains the debugging information of the operator. You are advised to restrict the access permission of other users to the file, and delete the file as soon as possible after the detection tool is executed.

Parent topic: msSanitizer (Anomaly Detection)