__u32 vcpu_id;
        union {
                struct {
-                       __u32 cycle_lo, cycle_hi;
+                       __u64 cycle_u64;
                        __u32 extra_u32[KVM_TRC_EXTRA_MAX];
                } cycle;
                struct {
                        __u32 extra_u32[KVM_TRC_EXTRA_MAX];
                } nocycle;
        } u;
-};
+} __attribute__((packed));
 
 #define KVMIO 0xAE
 
 
        rec.cycle_in    = p->cycle_in;
 
        if (rec.cycle_in) {
-               u64 cycle = 0;
-
-               cycle = get_cycles();
-               rec.u.cycle.cycle_lo = (u32)cycle;
-               rec.u.cycle.cycle_hi = (u32)(cycle >> 32);
+               rec.u.cycle.cycle_u64 = get_cycles();
 
                for (i = 0; i < rec.extra_u32; i++)
                        rec.u.cycle.extra_u32[i] = va_arg(*args, u32);
 {
        struct kvm_trace *kt;
 
-       if (!relay_buf_full(buf))
+       if (!relay_buf_full(buf)) {
+               if (!prev_subbuf) {
+                       /*
+                        * executed only once when the channel is opened
+                        * save metadata as first record
+                        */
+                       subbuf_start_reserve(buf, sizeof(u32));
+                       *(u32 *)subbuf = 0x12345678;
+               }
+
                return 1;
+       }
 
        kt = buf->chan->private_data;
        atomic_inc(&kt->lost_records);