Scheme for verifying the effects of program optimizations

• US 9,495,138 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Frazier, Giles R., Gschwind, Michael Karl, Jacobi, Christian, Saporito, Anthony, Shum, Chung-Lung K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aponte, Francisco
• Application Number:
  US14/987,377
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 717126-127, 717151-154
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/36 Preventing errors by testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/443 Optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/4441 Reducing the execution time required by the program code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36

Abstract

Techniques relate for verifying an effect of software program optimization. A determination is made whether a fingerprint is present in a software application that is currently executing on a processor of a computer system, where the fingerprint includes a representation of a sequence of behavior that occurs on the processor while the software application is executing. The fingerprint corresponds to an optimization made to the software application. In response to determining that the fingerprint is not present in the software application currently executing on the processor, it is determined that the optimization to the software application did not have an intended effect. In response to determining that the fingerprint is present in the software application executing on the processor, it is recognized that the optimization to the software application has the intended effect.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for verifying an effect of software program optimization, the method comprising:

determining whether a fingerprint is present in a software application that is currently executing on a processor of a computer system, the fingerprint comprising a representation of a sequence of behavior that occurs on the processor while the software application is executing, wherein the fingerprint corresponds to an optimization made to the software application;

in response to determining that the fingerprint is not present in the software application currently executing on the processor, determining that the optimization to the software application did not have an intended effect; and

in response to determining that the fingerprint is present in the software application executing on the processor, recognizing that the optimization to the software application has the intended effect;

wherein the software application has a start verification check directive configured to cause a compiler to cause a fingerprint circuit to begin determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system;

wherein the software application has an end verification check directive configured to cause the compiler to cause the fingerprint circuit to stop determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system; and

wherein the optimization is intended to occur between the start verification check directive and the end verification check directive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system occurs in response to identifying an instruction address of an instruction that is optimized.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to identifying the instruction address of the instruction that is optimized, comparing a value in a fingerprint register to the fingerprint in order to determine whether the fingerprint is present in the fingerprint register.

4. The method claim 2, wherein identifying the instruction address of the instruction that is optimized causes output of the software application currently executing on the processor to be placed into a fingerprint register, such that a value in the fingerprint register is compared to the fingerprint in order to determine whether the fingerprint is present in the fingerprint register.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system occurs in response to one or more instruction addresses of the software application currently matching one or more predefined instruction addresses.

6. A computer program product for verifying an effect of software program optimization, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising;

determining whether a fingerprint is present in a software application that is currently executing on a processor of a computer system, the fingerprint comprising a representation of a sequence of behavior that occurs on the processor while the software application is executing, wherein the fingerprint corresponds to an optimization made to the software application;

in response to determining that the fingerprint is not present in the software application currently executing on the processor, determining that the optimization to the software application did not have an intended effect; and

in response to determining that the fingerprint is present in the software application executing on the processor, recognizing that the optimization to the software application has the intended effect;

wherein the software application has a start verification check directive configured to cause a compiler to cause a fingerprint circuit to begin determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system;

wherein the software application has an end verification check directive configured to cause the compiler to cause the fingerprint circuit to stop determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system; and

wherein the optimization is intended to occur between the start verification check directive and the end verification check directive.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system occurs in response to identifying an instruction address of an instruction that is optimized.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, the method further comprising, in response to identifying the instruction address of the instruction that is optimized, comparing a value in a fingerprint register to the fingerprint in order to determine whether the fingerprint is present in the fingerprint register.

9. The computer program product claim 7, wherein identifying the instruction address of the instruction that is optimized causes output of the software application currently executing on the processor to be placed into a fingerprint register, such that a value in the fingerprint register is compared to the fingerprint in order to determine whether the fingerprint is present in the fingerprint register.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system occurs in response to one or more instruction addresses of the software application currently matching one or more predefined instruction addresses.

11. A computer system for verifying an effect of software program optimization, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, the computer system configured to perform a method comprising;

determining whether a fingerprint is present in a software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system, the fingerprint comprising a representation of a sequence of behavior that occurs on the processor while the software application is executing, wherein the fingerprint corresponds to an optimization made to the software application;

in response to determining that the fingerprint is not present in the software application currently executing on the processor, determining that the optimization to the software application did not have an intended effect; and

in response to determining that the fingerprint is present in the software application executing on the processor, recognizing that the optimization to the software application has the intended effect;

wherein the software application has a start verification check directive configured to cause a compiler to cause a fingerprint circuit to begin determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system;

wherein the software application has an end verification check directive configured to cause the compiler to cause the fingerprint circuit to stop determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system; and

wherein the optimization is intended to occur between the start verification check directive and the end verification check directive.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system occurs in response to identifying an instruction address of an instruction that is optimized.

13. The computer system of claim 12, the method further comprising, in response to identifying the instruction address of the instruction that is optimized, comparing a value in a fingerprint register to the fingerprint in order to determine whether the fingerprint is present in the fingerprint register.

14. The computer system claim 12, wherein identifying the instruction address of the instruction that is optimized causes output of the software application currently executing on the processor to be placed into a fingerprint register, such that a value in the fingerprint register is compared to the fingerprint in order to determine whether the fingerprint is present in the fingerprint register.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein determining whether the fingerprint is present in the software application that is currently executing on the processor of the computer system occurs in response to one or more instruction addresses of the software application currently matching one or more predefined instruction addresses.