RUN-TIME INSTRUMENTATION INDIRECT SAMPLING BY INSTRUCTION OPERATION CODE

• US 20130246772A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bradbury, Jonathan D., Gainey, Charles W. Jr., Gschwind, Michael K., Schwarz, Eric M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,442,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/348 Circuit details, i.e. tracer hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3644 by instrumenting at runtime
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3005 to perform operations for flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30058 Conditional branch instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30145 Instruction analysis, e.g. decoding, instruction word fields

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to implementing run-time instrumentation indirect sampling by instruction operation code. An aspect of the invention includes a method for implementing run-time instrumentation indirect sampling by instruction operation code. The method includes reading sample-point instruction operation codes from a sample-point instruction array, and comparing, by a processor, the sample-point instruction operation codes to an operation code of an instruction from an instruction stream executing on the processor. The method also includes recognizing a sample point upon execution of the instruction with the operation code matching one of the sample-point instruction operation codes. The run-time instrumentation information is obtained from the sample point. The method further includes storing the run-time instrumentation information in a run-time instrumentation program buffer as a reporting group.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for implementing run-time instrumentation indirect sampling by instruction operation code, the method comprising:

reading sample-point instruction operation codes from a sample-point instruction array;

comparing, by a processor, the sample-point instruction operation codes to an operation code of an instruction from an instruction stream executing on the processor;

recognizing a sample point upon execution of the instruction with the operation code matching one of the sample-point instruction operation codes, wherein run-time instrumentation information is obtained from the sample point; and

storing the run-time instrumentation information in a run-time instrumentation program buffer as a reporting group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the run-time instrumentation information comprises run-time instrumentation event records collected in a collection buffer of the processor and the reporting group further comprises system information records in combination with the run-time instrumentation event records.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instruction with the operation code matching one of the sample-point instruction operation codes is identified as a sample instruction in an instruction record of the reporting group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a run-time-instrumentation control based on executing a load run-time instrumentation controls (LRIC) instruction, the LRIC instruction establishing a sampling mode and a sample-point instruction (SPI) control.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fetching a run-time instrumentation load sample point instructions (RILSPI) instruction establishing the sample-point instruction operation codes; and

executing the RILSPI instruction by the processor, the executing comprising;

storing the sample-point instruction operation codes in the sample-point instruction array; and

updating a condition code in the processor based on the storing.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fetching a run-time instrumentation store sample point instructions (RISSPI) instruction comprising a storage address; and

executing the RISSPI instruction by the processor, the executing comprising;

reading the sample-point instruction operation codes from the sample-point instruction array; and

storing the sample-point instruction operation codes to a location identified by the storage address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fetching a run-time instrumentation clear sample point instructions (RICSPI); and

executing the RICSPI instruction by the processor, the executing comprising;

clearing the sample-point instruction operation codes in the sample-point instruction array; and

updating a condition code in the processor based on the clearing.