Recording CPU time for sample of computing thread based on CPU use state of activity associated with the sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632902-B2
Application number	US-201514660591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Computing threads can be sampled such that the samples hit each activity with a probability proportional to a time period of that activity. Therefore, the sampling can advantageously account for all activities, including activities that are smaller than the applicable sampling interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one processor, a computing thread characterizing a portion of a plurality of activities of a computer program, the plurality of activities associated with the computing thread, the computing thread being associated with a plurality of samples so that a probability of at least one sample of the plurality of samples being taken within each activity of the plurality of activities is proportional to a time period of the activity;
determining, by the at least one processor, that a sample of the plurality of samples indicates a particular activity of the plurality of activities that is not serviced by a central processing unit (CPU) operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the particular activity not being serviced by the CPU for a particular time period;
recording, by the at least one data processor, the particular time period in a first stack frame specific to a prior sample of the plurality of samples that indicates a prior activity of the plurality of activities that was serviced by the CPU; and
providing, by the at least one processor, data stored in the first stack frame, the providing comprising:
generating a summary report comprising: the particular time period, identification of the prior activity, and a total number of samples for which time periods associated with the CPU are recorded in stack frames of prior samples; and
displaying the summary report on a graphical user interface operatively coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the at least one processor, that another sample indicates another activity that is serviced by the CPU;
recording, by the at least one data processor, a specific time period for the other sample indicating the other activity in a second stack frame specific to the other sample, the first stack frame and the second stack frame being a part of a call stack for the computing thread; and
providing, by the at least one processor, data stored in the second stack frame.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer program executes an enterprise resource planning application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each activity of the computer program is a subroutine of the computer program.

5. A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one processor, a computing thread characterizing a portion of a plurality of activities of a computer program, the plurality of activities associated with the computing thread, the computing thread being associated with a plurality of samples so that a probability of at least one sample of the plurality of samples being taken within each activity of the plurality of activities is proportional to a time period of the activity;
determining, by the at least one processor, that a sample of the plurality of samples indicates a particular activity of the plurality of activities that is not serviced by a central processing unit (CPU) operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the particular activity not being serviced by the CPU for a particular time period;
recording, by the at least one data processor, the particular time period in a first stack frame specific to a prior sample of the plurality of samples that indicates a prior activity of the plurality of activities that was serviced by the CPU; and
providing, by the at least one processor, data stored in the first stack frame,
determining, by the at least one processor, that another sample indicates another activity that is serviced by the CPU;
recording, by the at least one data processor, a specific time period for the other sample indicating the other activity in a second stack frame specific to the other sample, the first stack frame and the second stack frame being a part of a call stack for the computing thread; and
providing, by the at least one processor, data stored in the second stack frame, the providing of the data stored in the second stack frame comprising:
generating a summary report comprising: the specific time period, identification of the other activity, and a total number of samples for which time periods associated with the CPU are recorded in stack frames of prior samples; and
displaying the summary report on a graphical user interface operatively coupled to the at least one processor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the computer program executes an enterprise resource planning application.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein each activity of the computer program is a subroutine of the computer program.

8. A system comprising:
at least one processor to:
receive a computing thread characterizing a portion of a plurality of activities of a computer program, the plurality of activities associated with the computing thread, the computing thread being associated with a plurality of samples so that a probability of at least one sample of the plurality of samples being taken within each activity of the plurality of activities is proportional to a time period of the activity;
determine that a sample of the plurality of samples indicates a particular activity of the plurality of activities that is not serviced by a central processing unit (CPU) operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the particular activity not being serviced by the CPU for a particular time period; and
record the particular time period; and

a call stack including a plurality of stack frames associated with the plurality of samples, the plurality of stack frames including a stack frame in which the at least one processor records the particular time period, the at least one processor configured to provide data stored in the stack frame, the providing comprising:
generating a summary report comprising: the particular time period,

identification of the prior activity, and a total number of samples for which time periods associated with the CPU are recorded in stack frames of prior samples; and
displaying the summary report on a graphical user interface operatively coupled to the at least one processor.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
determine that another sample indicates another activity that is serviced by the CPU; and
record a specific time period for the other sample indicating the other activity in a second stack frame specific to the other sample, the first stack frame and the second stack frame being a part of the call stack.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
provide data stored in the second stack frame.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer program executes an enterprise resource planning application.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein each activity of the computer program is a function call within the computer program.

13. A system comprising:
at least one processor to:
receive a computing thread characterizing a portion of a plurality of activities of a computer program, the plurality of activities associated with the computing thread, the computing thread being associated with a plurality of samples so that a probability of at least one sample of the plurality of samples being taken within each activity of the plurality of activities is proportional to a time period of the activity;
determine that a sample of the plurality of samples indicates a particular activity of the plurality of activities that is not serviced by a central processing unit (CPU) operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the particular activity not being serviced by the CPU for a particular time period; and
record the particular time period; and

a call stack including a

Assignees

• Scheuer Tobias
• Booss Daniel
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Scheuer Tobias
• Booss Daniel

Classifications

• G06F2201/88

  Monitoring involving counting · CPC title

• G06F2201/86

  Event-based monitoring · CPC title

• G06F11/3476

  Data logging (G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F11/3423 Primary

  where the assessed time is active or idle time · CPC title

• G06F11/3409

  for performance assessment · CPC title