Using cost to control instrumentation overhead
We present a new data collection cost system that provides programmers with feedback about the impact data collection is having on their application. We allow programmers to define the level of perturbation their application can tolerate, and then regulate the amount of instrumentation to ensure that the threshold is not exceeded. Our approach is unique in that the type of data gathered remains constant; instead, we regulate when data are collected. This permits programmers to trade speed of isolation of a performance problem for less application perturbation. We implemented this cost system in the Paradyn Performance Tools and present several case studies demonstrating the accuracy of the cost system. (C) 1998-Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
overhead data collection perturbation paradyn performance tools parallel program instrumentation