Visualization tool for graphically displaying trace data produced by a parallel processing computer

• US 6,057,839 A
• Filed: 11/26/1996
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Ko-Yang, Panda, Rajendra Datta, Welch, Robert Spencer, Marino, John Paul, Li, Todd Ming Chun, Hansell, Steven Robert, Advani, Deepak Mohan, Byron, Michael Justin, Pierce, James Andrew, Weinel, Dennis George
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/756,352
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326-358, 345/123-125, 345/440, 345/134, 345/969, 707/1, 707/5, 707/509, 364/188, 364/189, 395/670-678, 395/200.56, 395/200.54, 395/200.53, 395/200.55
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3404 for parallel or distributed programming

Abstract

A visualization tool for creating graphic displays of trace data produced by a parallel computer program execution monitoring system. The visualization tool contains a display monitor, possible input devices, a mass storage device, and a computer system. Trace data is converted into data structures and later pixel maps to ultimately generate processing activity diagrams for each processor in the computer system. If more than one processor is present, more than one processing activity diagram can be generated and simultaneously displayed on the same screen in form of strip graphs and for certain indicated time intervals. An average processor utilization diagram is then calculated and plotted on every processor activity diagram for comparison purposes. Browsing through these strip graphs all at the same time while comparing them against the average utilization graph will allow a user to easily redistribute workload if necessary and/or locate problem situations.

Claims

1. A method of graphically displaying trace data using a visualization tool having a display monitor for displaying pixel map diagrams, a mass storage device for storing data structures and diagrams, a parallel computer system connected to said display monitor and mass storage device, and an input device connected to said computer system, comprising the steps of:

converting trace data into data structures and creating pixel map diagrams from each of said data structures;

sampling processor utilization time at certain intervals from said trace data;

generating and displaying an activity diagram for any selected processor in said computer system at each of said sampled time intervals;

generating an average processor utility diagram and plotting it against said processor activity diagram over time so as to compare each processors utilization time to said average utilization time, highlighting any processor that is functioning above and below such average.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer system has a plurality of processors and a separate processing activity diagram is being generated for each processor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of processor activity diagrams are being selectively displayed at the same time for identical time intervals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein multiple processor activity diagrams can be selectively displayed at one time on one monitor screen and scrolling said monitor screen backwards and forwards reveal any other activity diagrams present.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said activity diagram displayed can be scrolled backwards or forwards to display other selected time intervals and scrolling one of said processor activity diagrams to one time interval will automatically scrolls all other activity diagrams to said same time interval.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein a toggle switch is provided on said monitor screen displaying said multiple processor activity diagrams to reveal a pop-up menu.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said pop-up menu allows a user to sort said multiple activity graphs according to their processor id number in descending order.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said pop-up menu allows a user to sort said multiple activity graphs according to their processor id number in ascending order.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of calculating standard deviation for said processor utilizations over time and displaying said standard deviation ranges above and below said average utilization graph in each processor activity diagrams by highlighting said standard deviation ranges.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a toggle switch is provided on said monitor screen displaying said multiple processor activity diagrams to reveal a pop-up menu.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said pop-up menu allows a user to sort said multiple activity graphs according to their standard deviation in descending order.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said pop-up menu allows a user to sort said multiple activity graphs according to their standard deviation in ascending order.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of calculating a mean for said utilization time across all processors;

and allowing a user through use of said pop-up menu a user to sort said multiple activity graphs according to their mean in either ascending or descending order.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a moving window is provided indicating a portion of time up to current time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said moving window displays more detail information about said activities in said processor activity diagram.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said moving window can be scrolled backwards or forwards to cover different time ranges.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a moving window activity bar is provided to reflect the completion of different tasks.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein interrupts are displayed as highlighted regions in said display diagram;

said interrupt completion time being also indicated upon said completion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said displayed interrupt regions are displayed in different formats to distinguish them from one another in case one diagram displayed comprises of more than one interrupt region.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said different tasks are indicated in different formats to distinguish them from one another, said tasks nested in other parent tasks being viewed as imbedded areas in said parent task but having a different format than said parent task, said parent task and said imbedded task constituting two levels of task viewing depth.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said user can specify depth of task levels to be viewed.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said tasks are indicated in "U" shape formats, each being displayed in a different color;

and any interrupts taken is shown as a protruding "well" like structure on said diagram, said interrupts also being of different colors in case more than one interrupt region is indicated.

24. The method of claim 3, wherein interrupts are displayed as highlighted regions in said display diagram;

said interrupt completion time being also indicated upon said completion.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein a multiplicity of interrupt diagrams can be viewed by a user concurrently.

10. The method of claim 10, wherein said standard deviation ranges are indicated by regions enveloping said average utilization graph.