Profile Cache for Program Execution Trace Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional profile generation techniques are inefficient due to the need to expand and decode instruction-by-instruction representations for all blocks of instructions, even when only a subset contributes to the profile, leading to significant overhead and slow performance, especially in programs with loops.
Innovation Solution
A profile cache is used to store updating actions for blocks of instructions, allowing for efficient profile updates by checking if an entry exists, and if not, using the instruction-by-instruction representation only when necessary, thereby reducing the need for repeated decoding and expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If instruction-by-instruction representation is expanded and decoded for all blocks of instructions, then complete profile information can be obtained, but processing time and computational overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary profile information from instruction blocks by identifying which blocks actually contribute to the profile. Instead of processing all instructions, the system selectively extracts profile-relevant information from specific instruction blocks, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining complete profile information for the aspects that matter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing strategies to different instruction blocks based on their characteristics. Some blocks are processed in detail while others are handled more efficiently or skipped entirely. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain measurement precision for critical blocks while reducing overall processing time through optimized handling of less critical blocks.
2Measurement precision
If instruction-by-instruction representation is expanded and decoded for all blocks of instructions, then accurate profile data can be generated, but device complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information needed for accurate profiling from the instruction blocks, rather than fully decoding and processing every instruction. This extraction approach maintains profile data accuracy while significantly reducing the computational complexity and resource requirements associated with complete instruction decoding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial processing to instruction blocks, performing only the necessary decoding and analysis steps required to obtain accurate profile information. Rather than executing full decoding sequences for all blocks, the system performs just enough processing to extract accurate profile data, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for generating a profile of a target program executed by a target data processing apparatus comprises performing at least one profile updating operation. Each profile updating operation includes identifying based on at least one waypoint marker indicating an outcome of a corresponding waypoint instruction of a target program, a next block of instructions executed by the target data processing apparatus during execution of the target program; determining whether a target entry for the next block of instructions is present in a profile cache; when the target entry is present updating the profile of the target program according to zero, one or more profile updating actions specified by the target entry. When the target entry is absent, any profile updating actions can be determined based on an instruction-by-instruction representation of the target program. This approach helps to speed up instruction-based summaries from program flow trace.