Dynamic Analysis and Profiling of Multithreaded Systems - Advanced Operating Systems and Kernel Applications - page 156

Chapter 9
Dynamic Analysis and Profiling
of Multithreaded Systems

Daniel G. Waddington
Lockheed Martin, USA

Nilabja Roy
Vanderbilt University, USA

Douglas C. Schmidt
Vanderbilt University, USA

abStract

As software-intensive systems become larger, more parallel, and more unpredictable the ability to analyze
their behavior is increasingly important. There are two basic approaches to behavioral analysis: static
and dynamic. Although static analysis techniques, such as model checking, provide valuable informa-
tion to software developers and testers, they cannot capture and predict a complete, precise, image of
behavior for large-scale systems due to scalability limitations and the inability to model complex ex-
ternal stimuli. This chapter explores four approaches to analyzing the behavior of software systems via
dynamic analysis: compiler-based instrumentation, operating system and middleware profiling, virtual
machine profiling, and hardware-based profiling. We highlight the advantages and disadvantages of
each approach with respect to measuring the performance of multithreaded systems and demonstrate
how these approaches can be applied in practice.

introduction

more than one program to execute simultane-
ously. Multitasking is achieved by dynamically
scheduling different executions to the available
processors over time (sometimes referred to as
time slicing).

Microprocessors execute code as a sequential
flow of instructions. Most contemporary operat-
ing systems support multitasking, which allows