Centralized disablement of instrumentation events within a batch simulation farm network

• US 20030101038A1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roesner, Wolfgang, Williams, Derek Edward, Gabele, Carol Ivash
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318314 Tools, e.g. program interfaces, test suite, test bench, simulation hardware, test compiler, test program languages simulation software G01R31/318357; emulators G06F11/261
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318357 Simulation computer simulation of digital circuits G06F30/3308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking

Abstract

A method and system for disabling an instrumentation event in a simulation model within a batch simulation farm in which a simulation client communicates with an instrumentation server to process simulation data with respect to the simulation model. An instrumentation event disable list is assembled within the instrumentation server. The assembly of the event disable list includes identifying an instrumentation event to be disabled during simulation processing of the simulation model, and delivering to the instrumentation server an instrumentation event name corresponding to the instrumentation event to be disabled. Prior to simulating the simulation model within the simulation client, the instrumentation event disable list is retrieved from the instrumentation server, and instrumentation events are disabled as specified within the instrumentation event disable list.

Claims

1. A method for disabling an instrumentation event in a simulation model within a batch simulation farm in which a simulation client communicates with an instrumentation server to process simulation data with respect to said simulation model, said method comprising:

assembling an instrumentation event disable list within said instrumentation server; and

prior to simulating said simulation model within said simulation client;

retrieving said instrumentation event disable list from said instrumentation server; and

disabling instrumentation events specified within said instrumentation event disable list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said assembling an instrumentation event disable list comprises:

identifying an instrumentation event to be disabled during simulation processing of said simulation model; and

delivering to said instrumentation server an instrumentation event name corresponding to said instrumentation event within said instrumentation event disable list.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to receiving said delivered instrumentation event name at said instrumentation server, adding said instrumentation event name to a master disable file within said instrumentation server, wherein said master disable file contains a list of instrumentation events to be disabled for said simulation model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said simulation client includes a model simulator and a run time executive program for controlling simulation processing of said simulation model within said model simulator, said retrieving said instrumentation event disable list comprising:

issuing a request from said run time executive program to an application program interface (API) entry point within said simulator to retrieve said instrumentation event disable list;

responsive to said request to retrieve said instrumentation event disable list, attempting to access said instrumentation server; and

responsive to a successful access to said instrumentation server, delivering said master disable file to said simulation client.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein an alternate copy of said instrumentation event disable list is stored within a shared file system, said method further comprising, in response to an unsuccessful access attempt to instrumentation server, attempting to access said shared file system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said alternate copy is periodically updated from said master disable file.

7. A system for disabling an instrumentation event in a simulation model within a batch simulation farm in which a simulation client communicates with an instrumentation server to process simulation data with respect to said simulation model, said system comprising:

processing means for assembling an instrumentation event disable list within said instrumentation server; and

processing means responsive to simulating said simulation model within said simulation client for;

retrieving said instrumentation event disable list from said instrumentation server; and

disabling instrumentation events specified within said instrumentation event disable list.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said processing means for assembling an instrumentation event disable list comprises:

processing means for identifying an instrumentation event to be disabled during simulation processing of said simulation model; and

processing means for delivering to said instrumentation server an instrumentation event name corresponding to said instrumentation event within said instrumentation event disable list.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising, processing means responsive to receiving said delivered instrumentation event name at said instrumentation server for adding said instrumentation event name to a master disable file within said instrumentation server, wherein said master disable file contains a list of instrumentation events to be disabled for said simulation model.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said simulation client includes a model simulator and a run time executive program for controlling simulation processing of said simulation model within said model simulator, said processing means for retrieving said instrumentation event disable list comprising:

processing means for issuing a request from said run time executive program to an application program interface (API) entry point within said simulator to retrieve said instrumentation event disable list;

processing means responsive to said request to retrieve said instrumentation event disable list for attempting to access said instrumentation server; and

processing means responsive to a successful access to said instrumentation server for delivering said master disable file to said simulation client.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein an alternate copy of said instrumentation event disable list is stored within a shared file system, said system further comprising, processing means responsive to an unsuccessful access attempt to instrumentation server for attempting to access said shared file system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said alternate copy is periodically updated from said master disable file.

13. A computer program product for disabling an instrumentation event in a simulation model within a batch simulation farm in which a simulation client communicates with an instrumentation server to process simulation data with respect to said simulation model, said computer program product comprising:

program instruction means for assembling an instrumentation event disable list within said instrumentation server; and

program instruction means responsive to simulating said simulation model within said simulation client for;

retrieving said instrumentation event disable list from said instrumentation server; and

disabling instrumentation events specified within said instrumentation event disable list.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said program instruction means for assembling an instrumentation event disable list comprises:

program instruction means for identifying an instrumentation event to be disabled during simulation processing of said simulation model; and

program instruction means for delivering to said instrumentation server an instrumentation event name corresponding to said instrumentation event within said instrumentation event disable list.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising, program instruction means responsive to receiving said delivered instrumentation event name at said instrumentation server for adding said instrumentation event name to a master disable file within said instrumentation server, wherein said master disable file contains a list of instrumentation events to be disabled for said simulation model.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said simulation client includes a model simulator and a run time executive program for controlling simulation processing of said simulation model within said model simulator, said program instruction means for retrieving said instrumentation event disable list comprising:

program instruction means for issuing a request from said run time executive program to an application program interface (API) entry point within said simulator to retrieve said instrumentation event disable list;

program instruction means responsive to said request to retrieve said instrumentation event disable list for attempting to access said instrumentation server; and

program instruction means responsive to a successful access to said instrumentation server for delivering said master disable file to said simulation client.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein an alternate copy of said instrumentation event disable list is stored within a shared file system, said computer program product further comprising, program instruction means responsive to an unsuccessful access attempt to instrumentation server for attempting to access said shared file system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said alternate copy is periodically updated from said master disable file.