Optimizing assembled code for execution using execution statistics collection, without inserting instructions in the code and reorganizing the code based on the statistics collected

• US 5,530,964 A
• Filed: 09/19/1994
• Issued: 06/25/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Greenstein, Paul G., Rodell, John T., Raghayan, Ramanathan, Alpert, Alan I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BACKENSTOSE, JONATHAN
• Application Number:
  US08/308,120
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 366/280, 366/280.4, 366/280.5
• US Class Current: 717/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/885 Monitoring specific for caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/443 Optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/4451 Avoiding pipeline stalls

Abstract

In one aspect, a software development technique is capable of efficiently organizing for execution a conditional code segment having multiple associated conditional paths. The development technique employs in association with each path of the code segment, a probability compiler directive which dictates to the compiler a probability for satisfying a conditional test of the associated path. In another aspect, a system/process is capable of optimizing organization of assembled program code for a code'"'"'s particular execution environment. This optimization approach tunes assembled code organization for each specific execution environment, employing run-time based statistical data collected during performance execution of the assembled code. The execution environment, consisting of hardware, software, and other factors such as workload, input data, etc., can also be collected and employed by an optimizer unit to best reorganize the assembled program code for a current execution environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing assembled code organization for execution on a processor system, said assembled code being without instructions for execution statistics collection, said optimizing method comprising the steps of:

(a) executing said assembled code on said processor system;

(b) simultaneous with said step (a), accumulating execution statistics on said assembled code within said processor system'"'"'s execution environment without requiring said instructions for execution statistics collection to be in said assembled code; and

(c) automatically re-configuring said executed assembled code organization by providing said execution statistics collected in said step (b) to an optimizer to improve execution performance of said executed assembled code within said processor system'"'"'s execution environment.

2. The optimizing method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) includes accumulating hardware/software information on said processor system'"'"'s execution environment, and wherein said re-configuring step (c) includes re-configuring said assembled code to improve execution performance based upon said execution statistics and based upon said hardware/software information collected in said step (b).

3. The optimizing method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(d) replacing said assembled code with said re-configured assembled code; and

(e) repeating steps (a)-(c) for said reconfigured assembled code.

4. The optimizing method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring said processor system execution environment for change; and

periodically repeating steps (a)-(e) such that a change in said processor system'"'"'s execution environment is accounted for to the extent that such change might affect execution performance of the assembled code.

5. The optimizing method of claim 3, wherein said replacing step (d) includes replacing in runtime said assembled code with said re-configured assembled code.

6. The optimizing method of claim 3, wherein said replacing step (d) includes the step of replacing said assembled code with said re-configured assembled code between successive executions of said assembled code by said processor system.

7. The optimizing method of claim 6, further comprising the step of saving said assembled code in a memory, and wherein said replacing step (d) includes replacing said assembled code saved in said memory with said re-configured assembled code.

8. The optimizing method of claim 6, wherein said replacing step (d) includes replacing said assembled code in successive parts with corresponding re-configured assembled code parts.

9. The optimizing method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

accomplishing steps (a)-(c) for at least one node of a sysplex/network having multiple nodes with different execution environments.

10. The optimizing method of claim 1, wherein said assembled code comprises one of a compiled language code and an interpreted language code.

11. A system for compiling and optimizing execution of a program code, said system comprising:

means for compiling said program code into assembled code without inserting instructions for execution statistics collection into said assembled code;

memory means coupled to said compiling means for holding said assembled code for execution;

a processor coupled to said memory means for executing said assembled code held by said memory means, said processor having an execution environment;

means, coupled to said processor and to an optimizer, for collecting execution statistics on said assembled code executed by said processor without requiring said instructions for execution statistics collection to be in said assembled code; and

means, including said optimizer, for re-configuring said executed assembled code, said re-configuring means employing said execution statistics collected by said collection means, said re-configuring means outputting a re-configured optimized assembled code.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for loading said assembled code into said memory means for execution, said loading means being disposed between said compiling means and said memory means.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said memory means comprises a first memory means, said system further comprising:

second memory means coupled to said compiling means for storing said assembled code; and

means for replacing said assembled code in said second memory means and in said first memory means with said re-configured assembled code, said replacing means being coupled to said first memory means and said second memory means.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said collecting means includes an instruction having a plurality of fields.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said instruction fields include a memory address where statistics are to be recorded, an address of a first instruction at which statistics are to be collected, and an address of a second, last instruction at which statistics are to be collected.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said collecting means includes at least one control register.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said collecting means includes means for continuously monitoring said processor for execution statistics on said assembled code executed by said processor.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said program code comprises either a high-level language code or a low-level language code.

19. A computer-implemented method for optimizing assembled code organization for execution on a processor system, without inserting instructions for execution statistics collection into said assembled code, said optimizing method comprising the steps of:

(a) executing said assembled code on said processor system;

(b) simultaneous with said step (a), and external to said step (a), accumulating execution statistics on said executed assembled code within said processor system'"'"'s execution environment; and

(c) automatically re-configuring said executed assembled code organization by providing said execution statistics collected in said step (b) to an optimizer to improve execution performance of said executed assembled code within said processor system'"'"'s execution environment.

20. A system for compiling and enhancing execution of a program code, said system comprising:

means for compiling said program code into assembled code without inserting instructions for execution statistics collection into said assembled code;

memory means coupled to said compiling means for holding said assembled code for execution;

a processor coupled to said memory means for executing said assembled code held by said memory means, said processor having an execution environment;

means, external to the assembled code and coupled to said processor and to an optimizer, for collecting execution statistics on said executed assembled code executed by said processor; and

means, including said optimizer, for re-configuring said executed assembled code, said re-configuring means employing said execution statistics collected by said collection means, said re-configuring means outputting a re-configured optimized assembled code.