Version 2.2 of the DIGITAL Continuous Profiling Infrastructure, a
set of performance tools for Digital Alpha systems running Digital
Unix, is available for general use.
The Digital Continuous Profiling Infrastructure for Digital Alpha
platforms permits continuous low-overhead profiling of entire
systems, including the kernel, user programs, drivers, and shared
libraries. The system is efficient enough that it can be left
running all the time, allowing it to be used to drive online
profile-based optimizations for production systems.
The Continuous Profiling Infrastructure maintains a database
of profile information that is incrementally updated for every
executable image that runs. A suite of profile analysis tools
analyzes the profile information at various levels. At one extreme,
the tools show what fraction of cpu cycles were spent executing
the kernel and each user program. At the other extreme, the tools
show how long a particular instruction stalls on average, e.g.,
because of a D-cache miss.
DCPI runs under Digital Unix V3.2 and V4.x, with a port to WindowsNT
underway. It is free of charge.
Further information, including papers and man pages, can be found at:
http://www.research.digital.com/SRC/dcpi
The system was developed at Digital's Systems Research Center and
Western Research Laboratory, both in Palo Alto, California. A paper
describing the system, will appear at SOSP-16 in October.
Received on Fri Jun 13 1997 - 20:10:44 NZST