Program and system performance data correlation

• US 7,559,053 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Milton, Djana Ophelia Clay, Sarnowicz, Maciej, Sonkin, Dmitry, Krassovsky, Viatcheslav
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): TECKLU, ISAAC TUKU
• Application Number:
  US10/924,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20060048101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 717/127
• US Class Current: 717/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting

Abstract

System performance data and program performance data may be collected, converted into the same format and correlated by time. A graph or other display of system performance data over a time period may be displayed. A bar may be superimposed on the graph. A corresponding grid or other display, of program performance data over the same time period may be displayed. An item or line of the grid corresponding to a program event at a particular timepoint may be selected. A timepoint in the system performance graph may be selected by adjusting the position of the bar superimposed on the system performance graph. In response to the movement of the bar, the portion of the grid of program performance data displayed may be changed so that the grid of program performance data displays program performance data corresponding to the selected timepoint in the system performance graph.

Claims

1. A system for correlating system performance data and program performance data, the system comprising:

a memory having stored therein computer executable instructions;

a computer processor for executing the computer executable instructions;

a system performance monitoring module configured to collect system performance data;

a program monitoring module configured to monitor operation of a program and to collect program performance data relating to events occurring in connection with the program;

a profiler that receives the system performance data from the system performance monitoring module and that receives the program performance data from the program monitoring module, converts the system performance data and the program performance data into a common format and generates from the converted system performance data and the converted program performance data a correlation table;

the correlation table comprising a plurality of data elements, wherein each data element of the plurality of data elements comprises a point in time, a data storage identifier indicating a data source, the data source comprising a system performance data source or a program performance data source, and a row number identifying a storage location of an event instance occurring in the data source, wherein the correlation table is stored in a correlation table storage that enables the plurality of data elements to be accessed in a direction other than a forward, read-only direction; and

a user interface for displaying information associated with the plurality of data elements of the correlation table in a graph, wherein a user selected point in time is displayed as a vertical line superimposed on the graph, and wherein a binary search is performed to determine a row number and a data storage identifier of an event in one of the data sources corresponding to the user selected point in time and a linear search is performed to determine a correlated event in a different one of the data sources that is nearest to the user selected point in time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving a user selection of a second point in time associated with the system performance data, the user interface displays one of the plurality of data elements in a highlighted display, the displayed data element associated with the second point in time and the program performance data source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving a second point in time associated with the program performance data, the user interface displays a vertical line superimposed over a one of the plurality of data elements associated with the second point in time and the system performance data source.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the program performance data is displayed as a grid, the grid comprising a plurality of items, each of the plurality of items comprising the point in time and an event occurring at the point in time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a second point in time is selected by moving the vertical line superimposed on the graph.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein a second point in time is selected by selecting one of the plurality of items.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a system performance data definition file, the system performance data definition file describing a column of data representing a system counter over a time interval.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a program performance data definition file, the program performance data definition file describing a plurality of types of information collected by a program monitoring module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the profiler comprises a reader for reading system performance data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the profiler comprises a reader for reading program performance data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the program monitoring module is a trace program.

12. A method for correlating system performance data collected by a system performance monitoring module and program performance data collected by a program monitoring module, the method comprising:

receiving the program performance data from the program monitoring module and the system performance data from the system performance monitoring module, the program performance data relating to events occurring in connection with the program;

converting the program performance data and the system performance data into a common format;

generating a correlation table that correlates the program performance data and the system performance data by time, the correlation table comprising a plurality of data elements, each data element of the plurality of data elements comprising a time reference point, a data storage identifier indicating a data source, the data source comprising a system performance data source or a program performance data source, and a row number identifying a storage location of an event instance occurring in the data source;

receiving a user selection of a first point in time;

performing a binary search to determine a row number and a data storage identifier of a correlation table entry for the system performance data corresponding to the first point in time;

performing a linear search to determine a correlated event in the system performance data that is nearest to the first point in time; and

displaying the correlated program performance data for the first point in time in a highlighted item and the correlated system performance data for the first point in time identified by a vertical bar superimposed over the correlated system performance data at the first point in time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein in response to receiving a second point in time, the correlated program performance data for the second point in time is highlighted.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein in response to receiving a second point in time, the correlated system performance data for the second point in time is displayed, identified by a vertical bar superimposed over the correlated system performance data at the second point in time.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising locating the correlated system performance data for the first point in time by accessing the correlation table.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising locating the correlated program performance data for the first point in time by accessing a correlation table.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the correlation table comprises a point in time, a performance data source identifier and a row number in a performance data source.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data source identifier is associated with the system performance data.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the data source identifier is associated with the program performance data.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving program performance data collected by a program monitoring module and relating to events occurring in connection with a program and system performance data collected by a system performance monitoring module;

converting the program performance data and the system performance data into a common format;

generating a correlation table that correlates the program performance data and the system performance data by time, the correlation table comprising a plurality of data elements, each data element of the plurality of data elements comprising a time reference point, a data storage identifier indicating a data source, the data source comprising a system performance data source or a program performance data source, and a row number identifying a storage location of an event instance occurring in the data source;

receiving a user selection of a first point in time;

performing a binary search to determine a row number and a data storage identifier of a correlation table entry for the system performance data corresponding to the first point in time;

performing a linear search to determine a correlated event in the system performance data that is nearest to the first point in time; and

displaying the correlated program performance data for the first point in time in a highlighted item and the correlated system performance data for the first point in time identified by a vertical bar superimposed over the correlated system performance data at the first point in time.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

in response to receiving a second point in time, highlighting the correlated program performance data for the second point in time.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

in response to receiving a second point in time, identifying the correlated system performance data for the second point in time by superimposing a vertical bar over the correlated system performance data at the second point in time.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

locating the correlated system performance data for the first point in time by accessing the correlation table.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

locating the correlated program performance data for the first point in time by accessing a correlation table.