Thread folding tool

• US 20110126202A1
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Krauss, Kirk J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3017 where the computing system is implementing multitasking multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3089 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3612 by runtime analysis performance monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3644 by instrumenting at runtime
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/48 Program initiating; Program switching, e.g. by interrupt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of performing runtime analysis on and control of a multithreaded computer program. One embodiment of the present invention can include identifying threads of a computer program to be analyzed. Under control of a supervisor thread, a plurality of the identified threads can be folded together to be executed as a folded thread. The execution of the folded thread can be monitored to determine a status of the identified threads. An indicator corresponding to the determined status of the identified threads can be presented in a user interface that is presented on a display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of performing runtime analysis and runtime control of a multithreaded computer program, the method comprising:

identifying threads of a computer program to be analyzed;

under control of a supervisor thread, folding a plurality of the identified threads together to be executed as a single folded thread;

monitoring the execution of the folded thread to determine a status of the identified threads; and

presenting in a user interface that is presented on a display at least one indicator corresponding to the determined status of the identified threads.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing state data of a first of the identified threads to a memory location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the state data of a first of the identified threads to a memory location comprises:

storing the state data to a memory location indicated by a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein folding a plurality of the identified threads together to be executed as a folded thread comprises:

copying state data of a second of the identified threads and applying the copied state data to be used as state data for a first of the identified threads.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting as the second thread a thread that is next to the first thread in a list of folded threads.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein applying the copied state data to be used as state data for the first thread comprises:

storing the copied state data to a memory location indicated by a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

suspending the first thread; and

suspending the second thread;

wherein copying the state data is performed by a supervisor thread while both the first and second threads are suspended.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

re-initiating execution of the first thread.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying threads of the computer program to be analyzed comprises:

identifying in a list of folded threads a first of the threads that currently is executing; and

identifying a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of at least a first of the identified threads and at least a second of the identified threads;

assigning the first thread to assume a context of the second thread; and

during execution of the identified threads, executing the first thread in lieu of the second thread when the second thread would otherwise be executed but for the first thread assuming the context.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium comprising computer-usable program code that, when executed by a computer, performs runtime analysis on a multithreaded computer program, the computer-usable medium comprising;

computer-usable program code that identifies threads of a computer program to be analyzed;

computer-usable program code that, under control of a supervisor thread, folds a plurality of the identified threads together to be executed as a folded thread;

computer-usable program code that monitors the execution of the identified threads to determine a status of the identified threads; and

computer-usable program code that presents in a user interface that is presented on a display an indicator corresponding to the determined status of the identified threads.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that stores state data of a first of the identified threads to a memory location.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-usable program code that stores state data of a first of the identified threads to a memory location comprises:

the computer-usable program code that stores the state data to a memory location indicated by a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-usable program code that folds a plurality of the identified threads together to be executed as a folded thread comprises:

the computer-usable program code that copies state data of a second of the identified threads and applies the copied state data to be used as state data for a first of the identified threads.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer-usable program code that instruments the computer program to track use of CPUT locks by the computer program; and

computer-usable program code that selects as the second thread a thread that is next to the first thread in a list of folded threads.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer-usable program code that stores the copied state data to a memory location indicated by a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread comprises:

computer-usable program code that stores the copied state data to a memory location indicated by a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that suspends the first thread; and

computer-usable program code that executes the second thread;

wherein the computer-usable program code that copies the state data while the first thread is suspended.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that suspends execution of the second thread; and

computer-usable program code that re-initiates execution of the first thread.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-usable program code identifies threads of the computer program to be analyzed comprises:

computer-usable program code that identifies in a list of folded threads a first of the threads that is currently executing; and

computer-usable program code that identifies a thread tracking structure associated with the first thread.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that receives a user selection of at least a first of the identified threads and at least a second of the identified threads;

computer-usable program code that assigns the first thread to assume a context of the second thread; and

computer-usable program code that, during execution of the identified threads, executes the first thread in lieu of the second thread when the second thread would otherwise be executed but for the first thread assuming the context.