Patent ID: 7478219

Claim:
A method comprising: retrieving event data associated with a plurality of events from a processor at a plurality of control points for a plurality of sampling intervals, wherein the processor executes instructions for a plurality of logical partitions and wherein the plurality of control points are unevenly distributed in time, wherein the retrieving further comprises if the plurality of sample points have been reached, retrieving the event data from the processor, wherein the event data is associated with the plurality of events that were detected by the processor during the plurality of sampling intervals; calculating an even distribution of the plurality of sampling intervals, wherein a plurality of sample points bound an end of the respective plurality of sampling intervals, wherein the calculating the even distribution further comprises if the plurality of sample points have been reached, resetting an event counter to a plurality of reset values, wherein the plurality of reset values cause the processor to include an identical number of the events in each of the plurality of sampling intervals, wherein the calculating the even distribution further comprises calculating the plurality of reset values based on the event counter at a time of the respective control point, the event counter at a time of the respective sample point, and the number of events in the plurality of sampling intervals; receiving a plurality of interrupts from the processor at the plurality of respective control points; and in response to each of the plurality of interrupts, determining whether each of the plurality of sample points have been reached.