testing: use QueryPerformanceCounter on Windows

Windows time.Now granularity is around 0.5ms on modern systems,
which introduces a significant noise into benchmark results.
Instead of relying time.Now use QueryPerformanceCounter, which
has significantly better granularity compared to time.Now.

 │ TimeNow-32  │        HighPrecisionTimeNow-32        │
 │   sec/op    │    sec/op     vs base                 │
   4.812n ± 0%   30.580n ± 0%  +535.43% (p=0.000 n=20)

Fixes #31160

Change-Id: Ib2a574d638c9c6762a2524212def02265574e267
Reviewed-on: https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/go/+/557315
Reviewed-by: Quim Muntal <quimmuntal@gmail.com>
LUCI-TryBot-Result: Go LUCI <golang-scoped@luci-project-accounts.iam.gserviceaccount.com>
Reviewed-by: Alex Brainman <alex.brainman@gmail.com>
Reviewed-by: Cherry Mui <cherryyz@google.com>
Reviewed-by: Michael Knyszek <mknyszek@google.com>

src/internal/syscall/windows/syscall_windows.go

@@ -488,3 +488,14 @@ func FinalPath(h syscall.Handle, flags uint32) (string, error) {
 	}
 	return syscall.UTF16ToString(buf), nil
 }
+
+// QueryPerformanceCounter retrieves the current value of performance counter.
+//
+//go:linkname QueryPerformanceCounter
+func QueryPerformanceCounter() int64 // Implemented in runtime package.
+
+// QueryPerformanceFrequency retrieves the frequency of the performance counter.
+// The returned value is represented as counts per second.
+//
+//go:linkname QueryPerformanceFrequency
+func QueryPerformanceFrequency() int64 // Implemented in runtime package.

src/runtime/os_windows.go

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const (
 //go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._LoadLibraryW LoadLibraryW%1 "kernel32.dll"
 //go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._PostQueuedCompletionStatus PostQueuedCompletionStatus%4 "kernel32.dll"
 //go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._QueryPerformanceCounter QueryPerformanceCounter%1 "kernel32.dll"
+//go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._QueryPerformanceFrequency QueryPerformanceFrequency%1 "kernel32.dll"
 //go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._RaiseFailFastException RaiseFailFastException%3 "kernel32.dll"
 //go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._ResumeThread ResumeThread%1 "kernel32.dll"
 //go:cgo_import_dynamic runtime._RtlLookupFunctionEntry RtlLookupFunctionEntry%3 "kernel32.dll"
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ var (
 	_LoadLibraryW,
 	_PostQueuedCompletionStatus,
 	_QueryPerformanceCounter,
+	_QueryPerformanceFrequency,
 	_RaiseFailFastException,
 	_ResumeThread,
 	_RtlLookupFunctionEntry,
@@ -246,6 +248,20 @@ func windowsLoadSystemLib(name []uint16) uintptr {
 	return stdcall3(_LoadLibraryExW, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&name[0])), 0, _LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32)
 }
 
+//go:linkname windows_QueryPerformanceCounter internal/syscall/windows.QueryPerformanceCounter
+func windows_QueryPerformanceCounter() int64 {
+	var counter int64
+	stdcall1(_QueryPerformanceCounter, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&counter)))
+	return counter
+}
+
+//go:linkname windows_QueryPerformanceFrequency internal/syscall/windows.QueryPerformanceFrequency
+func windows_QueryPerformanceFrequency() int64 {
+	var frequency int64
+	stdcall1(_QueryPerformanceFrequency, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&frequency)))
+	return frequency
+}
+
 func loadOptionalSyscalls() {
 	bcryptPrimitives := windowsLoadSystemLib(bcryptprimitivesdll[:])
 	if bcryptPrimitives == 0 {

src/testing/benchmark.go

@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func (b *B) StartTimer() {
 		runtime.ReadMemStats(&memStats)
 		b.startAllocs = memStats.Mallocs
 		b.startBytes = memStats.TotalAlloc
-		b.start = time.Now()
+		b.start = highPrecisionTimeNow()
 		b.timerOn = true
 	}
 }
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (b *B) StartTimer() {
 // want to measure.
 func (b *B) StopTimer() {
 	if b.timerOn {
-		b.duration += time.Since(b.start)
+		b.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(b.start)
 		runtime.ReadMemStats(&memStats)
 		b.netAllocs += memStats.Mallocs - b.startAllocs
 		b.netBytes += memStats.TotalAlloc - b.startBytes
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func (b *B) ResetTimer() {
 		runtime.ReadMemStats(&memStats)
 		b.startAllocs = memStats.Mallocs
 		b.startBytes = memStats.TotalAlloc
-		b.start = time.Now()
+		b.start = highPrecisionTimeNow()
 	}
 	b.duration = 0
 	b.netAllocs = 0
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ func (b *B) launch() {
 func (b *B) Elapsed() time.Duration {
 	d := b.duration
 	if b.timerOn {
-		d += time.Since(b.start)
+		d += highPrecisionTimeSince(b.start)
 	}
 	return d
 }

src/testing/export_test.go

@@ -5,3 +5,7 @@
 package testing
 
 var PrettyPrint = prettyPrint
+
+type HighPrecisionTime = highPrecisionTime
+
+var HighPrecisionTimeNow = highPrecisionTimeNow

src/testing/fuzz.go

@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ func fRunner(f *F, fn func(*F)) {
 			}
 			for root := &f.common; root.parent != nil; root = root.parent {
 				root.mu.Lock()
-				root.duration += time.Since(root.start)
+				root.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(root.start)
 				d := root.duration
 				root.mu.Unlock()
 				root.flushToParent(root.name, "--- FAIL: %s (%s)\n", root.name, fmtDuration(d))
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ func fRunner(f *F, fn func(*F)) {
 		}
 
 		// No panic or inappropriate Goexit.
-		f.duration += time.Since(f.start)
+		f.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(f.start)
 
 		if len(f.sub) > 0 {
 			// Unblock inputs that called T.Parallel while running the seed corpus.
@@ -700,9 +700,9 @@ func fRunner(f *F, fn func(*F)) {
 			for _, sub := range f.sub {
 				<-sub.signal
 			}
-			cleanupStart := time.Now()
+			cleanupStart := highPrecisionTimeNow()
 			err := f.runCleanup(recoverAndReturnPanic)
-			f.duration += time.Since(cleanupStart)
+			f.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(cleanupStart)
 			if err != nil {
 				doPanic(err)
 			}
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ func fRunner(f *F, fn func(*F)) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	f.start = time.Now()
+	f.start = highPrecisionTimeNow()
 	f.resetRaces()
 	fn(f)
 

src/testing/testing.go

@@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ type common struct {
 	isParallel     bool           // Whether the test is parallel.
 
 	parent   *common
-	level    int       // Nesting depth of test or benchmark.
-	creator  []uintptr // If level > 0, the stack trace at the point where the parent called t.Run.
-	name     string    // Name of test or benchmark.
-	start    time.Time // Time test or benchmark started
+	level    int               // Nesting depth of test or benchmark.
+	creator  []uintptr         // If level > 0, the stack trace at the point where the parent called t.Run.
+	name     string            // Name of test or benchmark.
+	start    highPrecisionTime // Time test or benchmark started
 	duration time.Duration
 	barrier  chan bool // To signal parallel subtests they may start. Nil when T.Parallel is not present (B) or not usable (when fuzzing).
 	signal   chan bool // To signal a test is done.
@@ -1457,7 +1457,7 @@ func (t *T) Parallel() {
 	// We don't want to include the time we spend waiting for serial tests
 	// in the test duration. Record the elapsed time thus far and reset the
 	// timer afterwards.
-	t.duration += time.Since(t.start)
+	t.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(t.start)
 
 	// Add to the list of tests to be released by the parent.
 	t.parent.sub = append(t.parent.sub, t)
@@ -1486,8 +1486,8 @@ func (t *T) Parallel() {
 	if t.chatty != nil {
 		t.chatty.Updatef(t.name, "=== CONT  %s\n", t.name)
 	}
-	running.Store(t.name, time.Now())
-	t.start = time.Now()
+	running.Store(t.name, highPrecisionTimeNow())
+	t.start = highPrecisionTimeNow()
 
 	// Reset the local race counter to ignore any races that happened while this
 	// goroutine was blocked, such as in the parent test or in other parallel
@@ -1619,7 +1619,7 @@ func tRunner(t *T, fn func(t *T)) {
 			// Flush the output log up to the root before dying.
 			for root := &t.common; root.parent != nil; root = root.parent {
 				root.mu.Lock()
-				root.duration += time.Since(root.start)
+				root.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(root.start)
 				d := root.duration
 				root.mu.Unlock()
 				root.flushToParent(root.name, "--- FAIL: %s (%s)\n", root.name, fmtDuration(d))
@@ -1634,7 +1634,7 @@ func tRunner(t *T, fn func(t *T)) {
 			doPanic(err)
 		}
 
-		t.duration += time.Since(t.start)
+		t.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(t.start)
 
 		if len(t.sub) > 0 {
 			// Run parallel subtests.
@@ -1652,10 +1652,10 @@ func tRunner(t *T, fn func(t *T)) {
 
 			// Run any cleanup callbacks, marking the test as running
 			// in case the cleanup hangs.
-			cleanupStart := time.Now()
+			cleanupStart := highPrecisionTimeNow()
 			running.Store(t.name, cleanupStart)
 			err := t.runCleanup(recoverAndReturnPanic)
-			t.duration += time.Since(cleanupStart)
+			t.duration += highPrecisionTimeSince(cleanupStart)
 			if err != nil {
 				doPanic(err)
 			}
@@ -1684,7 +1684,7 @@ func tRunner(t *T, fn func(t *T)) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	t.start = time.Now()
+	t.start = highPrecisionTimeNow()
 	t.resetRaces()
 	fn(t)
 
@@ -1732,7 +1732,7 @@ func (t *T) Run(name string, f func(t *T)) bool {
 	if t.chatty != nil {
 		t.chatty.Updatef(t.name, "=== RUN   %s\n", t.name)
 	}
-	running.Store(t.name, time.Now())
+	running.Store(t.name, highPrecisionTimeNow())
 
 	// Instead of reducing the running count of this test before calling the
 	// tRunner and increasing it afterwards, we rely on tRunner keeping the
@@ -2372,7 +2372,7 @@ func (m *M) startAlarm() time.Time {
 func runningList() []string {
 	var list []string
 	running.Range(func(k, v any) bool {
-		list = append(list, fmt.Sprintf("%s (%v)", k.(string), time.Since(v.(time.Time)).Round(time.Second)))
+		list = append(list, fmt.Sprintf("%s (%v)", k.(string), highPrecisionTimeSince(v.(highPrecisionTime)).Round(time.Second)))
 		return true
 	})
 	sort.Strings(list)

src/testing/testing_other.go

@@ -6,8 +6,26 @@
 
 package testing
 
+import "time"
+
 // isWindowsRetryable reports whether err is a Windows error code
 // that may be fixed by retrying a failed filesystem operation.
 func isWindowsRetryable(err error) bool {
 	return false
 }
+
+// highPrecisionTime represents a single point in time.
+// On all systems except Windows, using time.Time is fine.
+type highPrecisionTime struct {
+	now time.Time
+}
+
+// highPrecisionTimeNow returns high precision time for benchmarking.
+func highPrecisionTimeNow() highPrecisionTime {
+	return highPrecisionTime{now: time.Now()}
+}
+
+// highPrecisionTimeSince returns duration since b.
+func highPrecisionTimeSince(b highPrecisionTime) time.Duration {
+	return time.Now().Sub(b.now)
+}

src/testing/testing_windows.go

@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ package testing
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"internal/syscall/windows"
+	"math/bits"
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // isWindowsRetryable reports whether err is a Windows error code
@@ -30,3 +32,39 @@ func isWindowsRetryable(err error) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+// highPrecisionTime represents a single point in time with query performance counter.
+// time.Time on Windows has low system granularity, which is not suitable for
+// measuring short time intervals.
+//
+// TODO: If Windows runtime implements high resolution timing then highPrecisionTime
+// can be removed.
+type highPrecisionTime struct {
+	now int64
+}
+
+// highPrecisionTimeNow returns high precision time for benchmarking.
+func highPrecisionTimeNow() highPrecisionTime {
+	var t highPrecisionTime
+	// This should always succeed for Windows XP and above.
+	t.now = windows.QueryPerformanceCounter()
+	return t
+}
+
+func (a highPrecisionTime) sub(b highPrecisionTime) time.Duration {
+	delta := a.now - b.now
+
+	if queryPerformanceFrequency == 0 {
+		queryPerformanceFrequency = windows.QueryPerformanceFrequency()
+	}
+	hi, lo := bits.Mul64(uint64(delta), uint64(time.Second)/uint64(time.Nanosecond))
+	quo, _ := bits.Div64(hi, lo, uint64(queryPerformanceFrequency))
+	return time.Duration(quo)
+}
+
+var queryPerformanceFrequency int64
+
+// highPrecisionTimeSince returns duration since a.
+func highPrecisionTimeSince(a highPrecisionTime) time.Duration {
+	return highPrecisionTimeNow().sub(a)
+}

src/testing/testing_windows_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+// Copyright 2024 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package testing_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var sink time.Time
+var sinkHPT testing.HighPrecisionTime
+
+func BenchmarkTimeNow(b *testing.B) {
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		sink = time.Now()
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkHighPrecisionTimeNow(b *testing.B) {
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		sinkHPT = testing.HighPrecisionTimeNow()
+	}
+}