SYSTEM AND METHOD TO IDENTIFY CODE EXECUTION RHYTHMS

• US 20140215442A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: RABIN, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/28 by checking the correct order of processing G06F11/08 - G06F11/26 take precedence; monitoring patterns of pulse trains H03K5/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software

Abstract

The present technology is directed to accurately identifying code execution rhythms from a running program, even when they are occasionally irregular. The present technology is capable of detecting and inferring the rhythms without any prior knowledge or expectations of rates or number of rhythms present in a running program. These code execution rhythms can then be used to further understand and analyze the behavior of a running program, for example, by exposing various rhythms that might have been unknown/unrealized, irregularity of rhythms, or by analyzing the behavior of functions on a per frame basis under different rhythms.

Claims

1. A method implemented using an information processing apparatus for identifying code execution rhythms by monitoring function execution behavior in a running program, comprising:

monitoring, using a processor, functions executing in a running program over a period of time;

analyzing the functions to find clusters of function execution;

grouping the clusters with respect to time thresholds;

selecting from the analyzed functions to determine a set of functions based on a period and a score associated with each function;

generating a displayable visualization having a time axis displayed along a first axis, an ordered listing of the selected functions in the set displayed along a second axis, and a graphical depiction of execution start times for each function in the ordered listing displayed adjacent to the respective function along the second axis; and

determining execution time per frame for each function in the ordered listing thereby allowing frame-by-frame analysis of function execution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting comprises determining whether the analyzed functions are periodic or substantially periodic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayable visualization is further configured to highlight irregularities in function execution for each function in the ordered listing.

4. A method implemented in an information processing apparatus having one or more processors and for identifying code execution rhythms, comprising:

monitoring, using the one or more processors, a running program to identify rhythmic execution patterns;

evaluating the periodicity of the identified rhythmic execution patterns; and

generating a visualization showing occurrence of said identified patterns exhibiting periodicity characteristics with respect to time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said visualization shows non-repetitive characteristics and irregularities of said identified patterns.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein

the monitoring further comprises monitoring one or more functions executing in the running program to identify periodic behavior of the one or more functions, and

the evaluating further comprises selecting at least one function, from the one or more monitored functions, based on a period and a score associated with the periodic behavior.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the visualization further comprises:

providing for display, along a first axis, an ordered listing of one or more selected functions; and

providing for display, along a second axis, a graphical depiction of execution start times over a period of time, for each of the one or more selected functions in the ordered listing, adjacent to the respective function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display is further configured to mark irregularities in function execution for each of the one or more functions in the ordered listing.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying clusters of execution for each of the monitored one or more functions;

merging the identified clusters of execution with respect to one or more time thresholds; and

selecting a time threshold for each of the monitored functions having a period and a score associated with the time threshold.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of an information processing apparatus, cause the information processing apparatus to perform features comprising:

monitoring a running program to identify rhythmic execution patterns;

evaluating the periodicity of the identified rhythmic execution patterns; and

generating a visualization showing occurrence of said identified patterns exhibiting periodicity characteristics with respect to time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said visualization shows non-repetitive characteristics and irregularities of said identified patterns.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein

the monitoring further comprises monitoring one or more functions executing in the running program to identify periodic behavior of the one or more functions, and

the evaluating further comprises selecting at least one function, from the one or more monitored functions, based on a period and a score associated with the periodic behavior.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the information processing apparatus is caused to further perform features comprising:

providing for display, along a first axis, an ordered listing of one or more selected functions; and

providing for display, along a second axis, a graphical depiction of execution start times over a period of time, for each of the one or more selected functions in the ordered listing, adjacent to the respective function.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the display is further configured to highlight irregularities in function execution for each of the one or more functions in the ordered listing.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the information processing apparatus is caused to further perform features comprising:

identifying clusters of execution for each of the monitored one or more functions;

merging the identified clusters of execution with respect to one or more time thresholds; and

selecting a time threshold for each of the monitored functions having a period and a score associated with the time threshold.

16. A system for identifying code execution rhythms, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to perform features comprising;

monitoring a running program to identify rhythmic execution patterns,

selecting identified rhythmic execution patterns based on periodicity, and

providing output highlighting periodicity and/or irregularities in the periodicity.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein providing output further comprises:

generating a graphical representation of a grid along a first axis including one or more segments representing single intervals of time and extending along the first axis for a duration of time; and

generating a graphical representation of the identified rhythmic execution in the grid by highlighting segments throughout the one or more segments representing single intervals of time.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform features comprising highlighting portions of the graphical representation of the grid representing irregularities in the periodicity of the execution patterns.