Run-time wait tracing using byte code insertion

• US 20040158819A1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Daughtrey, Erik A., Fraenkel, Michael L., Cuomo, Gennaro A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3624 by performing operations on the source code, e.g. via a compiler

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business whereby programmatically-generated byte code insertion is used to perform run-time tracing of code that potentially encounters a wait during execution. The byte code insertion is performed at load time, and inserts byte codes before and after a located (potential) wait point. The inserted byte code functions to gather execution statistics, such as a time stamp before invoking a located wait point and a time stamp after invoking the located wait point. Preferred embodiments allow this tracing to be selectively activated/deactivated.

Claims

1. A method of tracing run-time waits, comprising steps of:

analyzing application code to locate one or more points in the code where a wait may occur at run time; and

programmatically instrumenting the located points, at load time, to track execution data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the programmatically instrumenting step further comprises the step of programmatically inserting byte code surrounding the located points.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing step consults a specification of operation codes to be included when locating the points where a wait may occur.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing step consults a specification of operation codes to be excluded when locating the points where a wait may occur.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of modifying the located points to exclude one or more thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the programmatically instrumenting step further comprises steps of:

intercepting load requests for executable elements of the application code at run time;

programmatically inserting byte code surrounding any of the located points that are found within each executable element for which a load request is intercepted, thereby creating an instrumented executable element; and

loading, for each intercepted load request, the instrumented executable element in place of the executable element.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the programmatically inserting byte code step surrounds only the located points for which a variable setting indicates that run-time tracing is to be performed.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selectively deactivating operation of one or more of the instrumented points at run time.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the programmatically inserted byte code surrounding each of the located points is operable to measure elapsed execution time at that located point.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising steps of:

measuring, at run time, the elapsed execution time for at least one of the located points; and

recording the at least one measured elapsed execution time.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for programmatically instrumenting further comprises:

means for intercepting load requests for executable elements of the application code at run time;

means for programmatically inserting byte code surrounding any of the located points that are found within each executable element for which a load request is intercepted, thereby creating an instrumented executable element; and

means for loading, for each intercepted load request, the instrumented executable element in place of the executable element.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the means for programmatically inserting byte code surrounds only the located points for which a variable setting indicates that run-time tracing is to be performed.

11. A system for tracing run-time waits in a computing environment, comprising:

means for analyzing application code to locate one or more points in the code where a wait may occur at run time; and

means for programmatically instrumenting the located points, at load time, to track execution data.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the means for programmatically instrumenting further comprises means for programmatically inserting byte code surrounding the located points.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the means for analyzing consults a specification of operation codes to be included when locating the points where a wait may occur.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the means for analyzing consults a specification of operation codes to be excluded when locating the points where a wait may occur.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising means for modifying the located points to exclude one or more thereof.

18. The system according to claim 11, firer comprising means for selectively deactivating operation of one or more of the instrumented points at run time.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the programmatically inserted byte code surrounding each of the located points is operable to measure elapsed execution time at that located point.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for measuring, at run time, the elapsed execution time for at least one of the located points; and

means for recording the at least one measured elapsed execution time.>

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.

21. A computer program product for tracing run-time waits, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

computer-readable program code means for analyzing application code to locate one or more points in the code where a wait may occur at run time; and

computer-readable program code means for programmatically instrumenting the located points, at load time, to track execution data.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code means for programmatically instrumenting further comprises computer-readable program code means for programmatically inserting byte code surrounding the located points.

23. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code means for analyzing consults a specification of operation codes to be included when locating the points where a wait may occur.

24. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code means for analyzing consults a specification of operation codes to be excluded when locating the points where a wait may occur.

25. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising computer-readable program code means for modifying the located points to exclude one or more thereof.

26. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code means for programmatically instrumenting further comprises:

computer-readable program code means for intercepting load requests for executable elements of the application code at run time;

computer-readable program code means for programmatically inserting byte code surrounding any of the located points that are found within each executable element for which a load request is intercepted, thereby creating an instrumented executable element; and

computer-readable program code means for loading, for each intercepted load request, the instrumented executable element in place of the executable element.

27. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer-readable program code means for programmatically inserting byte code surrounds only the located points for which a variable setting indicates that run-time tracing is to be performed.

28. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising computer-readable program code means for selectively deactivating operation of one or more of the instrumented points at run time.

29. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the programmatically inserted byte code surrounding each of the located points is operable to measure elapsed execution time at that located point.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for measuring, at run time, the elapsed execution time for at least one of the located points; and

computer-readable program code means for recording the at least one measured elapsed execution time.

31. A method of doing business by tracing wait points in an executing application, comprising steps of:

programmatically analyzing application code to locate one or more points in the code where a wait may occur at run time;

programmatically instrumenting the located points, at load time, to track execution data;

programmatically recording execution data upon operation of at least one of the programmatically instrumented points; and

charging a fee for carrying out the steps of programmatically analyzing, programmatically instrumenting, and programmatically recording.