Colored Timeline for Software Performance Event Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Measuring and reporting software performance across multiple processing cores and threads is complex and time-consuming, as existing methods like hardware performance counters do not effectively show performance variations over time or their relation to software source code.
Innovation Solution
A system that tracks performance events by sampling hardware performance counters, calculates event rates for time segments, and displays them as a colored timeline, allowing for zooming and correlation with thread execution and source code phase markers to identify performance issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hardware performance counters are used to measure software performance, then performance data can be collected, but it does not provide indication of how performance varies over time or how performance relates to particular software source code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the performance measurement data by dividing the execution time into discrete time segments and associating each segment with specific source code regions. This segmentation allows the system to track how performance events are distributed across different time periods and map them to corresponding source code locations, thereby recovering the temporal and source code correlation information that was lost with traditional hardware counters alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary software layer that sits between the hardware performance counters and the analysis process. This intermediary captures performance events, timestamps them, and correlates them with source code information, thereby preserving the temporal and source code relationship information that hardware counters alone cannot provide.
2Quantity of substance
If performance analysis is conducted on multiple processing cores and threads, then comprehensive performance data can be gathered, but understanding the performance impact of each individual thread or core becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments performance data by thread and core, creating separate visual representations for each execution unit. This segmentation allows analysts to examine the performance impact of individual threads and cores independently while still maintaining comprehensive coverage of all processing units, thereby reducing analysis complexity without sacrificing data completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds visual dimensions to the performance data by displaying performance events as graphical markers positioned along timelines that represent thread execution. This dimensional transformation converts complex multi-threaded performance data into a visual format that is easier to interpret, allowing analysts to quickly understand performance impacts across multiple threads and cores.
3Measurement precision
If detailed performance tracking is implemented across multiple threads and time segments, then comprehensive performance information can be obtained, but the time and computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sampling of performance events at defined time segments rather than continuous monitoring. This periodic approach maintains measurement precision by capturing performance data at regular intervals while reducing the overall time and computational resources required compared to continuous tracking, thereby resolving the contradiction between detailed tracking and analysis time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified visual copy or representation of the performance data that preserves the essential temporal and source code correlation information. This visual copy allows analysts to quickly interpret performance patterns without needing to process the raw detailed data, thereby reducing analysis time while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for measuring performance event rates at a computer and reporting the performance event rates using timelines. A particular method tracks, for a time period, the occurrences of a particular event at a computer. Event rates corresponding to different time segments within the time period are calculated, and the time segments are assigned colors based on their associated event rates. The event rates are used to display a colored timeline for the time period, including displaying a colored timeline portion for each time segment in its associated color.