System and method for acquiring high granularity performance data in a computer system
US5774724A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 20, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jun 30, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 20, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2201/885
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A microprocessor performance monitor and instruction address break point facility are interconnected to provide finer granularity and performance monitoring. The microprocessor is initialized to collect processor statistics preselected prior to performance monitoring. Application start and stop instruction breakpoint addresses are preselected from a software program bounding instructions for which such statistics are desired. An exception handler is installed for instruction address breakpoints (IAB), enabling and disabling the performance monitor and stop addresses, respectively. The IAB register is then initalized to the start address, and the statistics counters are cleared. Upon starting the application, when the application start address instruction is executed, the breakpoint handler obtains control and enables the performance monitor counters, which count the desired statistics after returning from the breakpoint handler. Before returning, the handler sets the IAB register to the stop address. When the application stop address is encountered, the breakpoint handler disables the performance monitor counters, and rearms the start address in the IAB register. The performance mo…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.