Bottleneck detector for executing applications

• US 9,323,651 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Garrett, Charles D., Fraser, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Tina
• Application Number:
  US13/866,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3612 by runtime analysis performance monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3624 by performing operations on the source code, e.g. via a compiler
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/443 Optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

A bottleneck detector may analyze individual workloads processed by an application by logging times when the workload may be processed at different checkpoints in the application. For each checkpoint, a curve fitting algorithm may be applied, and the fitted curves may be compared between different checkpoints to identify bottlenecks or other poorly performing sections of the application. A real time implementation of a detection system may compare newly captured data points against historical curves to detect a shift in the curve, which may indicate a bottleneck. In some cases, the fitted curves from neighboring checkpoints may be compared to identify sections of the application that may be a bottleneck. An automated system may apply one set of checkpoints in an application, identify an area for further investigation, and apply a second set of checkpoints in the identified area. Such a system may recursively search for bottlenecks in an executing application.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a bottleneck analyzer that;

identifies a workload processed by an application, said workload having multiple instances;

captures timestamps each time a workload instance encounters each of a plurality of checkpoints in said application; and

for a first checkpoint, curve fits said timestamps across a plurality of workload instances to generate a first historical curve;

for a second checkpoint, curve fitting said timestamps across said plurality of workload instances to generate a second historical curve; and

compares said first historical curve to said second historical curve to identify a difference between said first historical curve and said second historical curve; and

determines that said difference indicates a bottleneck.

2. The system of claim 1, said first historical curve having a first correlation coefficient, said second historical curve having a second correlation coefficient, and said difference comprising a difference between said first correlation coefficient and said second correlation coefficient.

3. The system of claim 2, said first historical curve and said second historical curve both being linear curve fitting.

4. The system of claim 1, said first historical curve having a first slope and said second historical curve having a second slope, said difference comprising a difference between said first slope and said second slope.

5. The system of claim 1, said first historical curve and said second historical curve being a function of load.

6. The system of claim 1, said workload being a process.

7. The system of claim 1, said workload being a thread.

8. The system of claim 1, said timestamps being relative time difference from a baseline timestamp.

9. The system of claim 8, said baseline timestamp being a starting timestamp for said workload.

10. The system of claim 8, said baseline timestamp being a previous timestamp of a previous checkpoint.