Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for modular reordering of portions of a computer program based on profile data

US6029004A · kind A · utility

61Cited by
29References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 17, 1997
Grant dateFeb 22, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 17, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F8/445
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method reorder portions of a computer program in a way that achieves both enhanced performance and maintainability of the computer program. A global call graph is initially constructed that includes profile data. From the information in the global call graph, an intramodular call graph is generated for each module. Reordering techniques are used to reorder the procedures in each module according to the profile data in each intramodular call graph. An intermodular call graph is generated from the information in the global call graph. Reordering techniques are used to reorder the modules in the computer program. By reordering procedures within modules, then reordering the modules, enhanced performance is achieved without reordering procedures across module boundaries. Respecting module boundaries enhances the maintainability of the computer program by allowing a module to be replaced without adversely affecting the other modules while still providing many of the advantages of global procedure reordering.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.