DEBUGGING AND PERFOMANCE ANALYSIS OF APPLICATIONS

• US 20100211933A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Strauss, Michael Clifford, Cornish, Derek, Kiel, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

While an application is still running and using a resource that the application has already allocated, real-time capture is used to allow for a minimal overhead, quick turnaround solution for debugging and performance analysis. Application programming interface interception can be used to construct a database of resource usage that can then be mined for dependencies.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, responsive to execution by a computer system, cause said computer system to perform operations comprising:

recording function calls between a graphics application and an application programming interface (API) while operating on a frame of interest;

maintaining a reference count for an object created by said API;

manipulating said reference count such that said API does not delete said object when said object is released by said application; and

replaying said function calls and using said object during said replaying.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said operations further comprise identifying relationships between said function calls.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said operations further comprise generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that shows relationships between said function calls.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein said GUI comprises colored arrows that point from a first function call to a second function call that utilizes an object also utilized by said first function call.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said recording comprises recording an identifier for a function call and parameters associated with said function call.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said operations further comprise:

identifying differences between newer data and older data for a part of said object that changes as a result of a function call; and

saving said differences.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said operations further comprise:

recording a beginning state of said API;

determining a difference between said beginning state and an ending state of said API; and

generating a list of API calls that return said ending state to said beginning state.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said application is a multi-threaded application and said recording is performed for each thread of said application, and wherein said replaying further comprises replaying said function calls in a single thread in order from earliest to latest based on a time-stamp associated with each of said function calls.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for analysis of an application, said components comprising:

an application programming interface (API) operable for creating an object used by said application, wherein said API is managed such that said API does not delete said object when said object is released by said application;

an interception layer operable for intercepting function calls between said application and said API and for writing information about said function calls to a first database;

a replay controller operable for replaying said function calls and using said object during said replaying; and

a graphical user interface (GUI) operable for displaying relationships between said function calls.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said GUI comprises colored arrows that point from a first function call to a second function call that utilizes an object also utilized by said first function call.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said information comprises an identifier for a function call and parameters associated with said function call.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said information comprises differences between newer data and older data for a part of said object that changes as a result of said function call.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said replay controller is further operable for executing a list of API calls that return said API from its ending state to an earlier state.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said application is a multi-threaded application and wherein function calls for each thread of said application are written to a respective database, wherein further said replaying comprises replaying said function calls in a single thread in order from earliest to latest based on a time-stamp associated with each of said function calls.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to said processor and having stored therein instructions that, responsive to execution by said system, cause said system to perform operations comprising;

generating in real time a database comprising a record of function calls between a graphics application and an application programming interface (API) while operating on a frame of interest; and

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays relationships between said function calls, wherein said GUI comprises colored arrows that point from a first function call to a second function call that utilizes an object also utilized by said first function call.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said operations further comprise:

maintaining a reference count for an object created by said API;

manipulating said reference count such that said API does not delete said object when said object is released by said application; and

replaying said function calls and using said object during said replaying.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said operations further comprise recording an identifier for a function call and parameters associated with said function call.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said operations further comprise:

identifying differences between newer data and older data for a part of said object that changes as a result of a function call; and

saving said differences.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said operations further comprise:

recording a beginning state of said API;

determining a difference between said beginning state and an ending state of said API; and

generating a list of API calls that return said ending state to said beginning state.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said application is a multi-threaded application and functions calls are recorded for each thread of said application, wherein further said function calls are replayed in a single thread in order from earliest to latest based on a time-stamp associated with each of said function calls.