Visualization and Performance Prediction of Multithreaded Solaris Programs by Tracing Kernel Threads

Efficient performance tuning of parallel programs is often hard. We present a performance prediction and visualization tool called VPPB. Based on a monitored uni-processor execution, VPPB shows the (predicted) behaviour of a multithreaded program using any number of processors and the program behaviour is visualized as a graph. The first version of VPPB was unable to handle I/O operations. This version has, by an improved tracing technique, added the possibility to trace activities at the kernel level as well. Thus, VPPB is now able to trace various I/O activities, e.g., manipulation of OS internal buffers, physical disk I/O, socket I/O, and RPC. VPPB allows flexible performance tuning of parallel programs developed for shared memory multiprocessors using a standardized environment; C/C++ programs that uses the thread package in Solaris 2.X.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1999
• Where: IPPS
• Authors: Magnus Broberg, Lars Lundberg, Håkan Grahn
• Keywords: Distributed And Parallel Computing, Efficient Performance Tuning, IPPS 1999, Parallel Programs, Performance Tuning