Method and apparatus for profiling indirect procedure calls in a

Details Method and apparatus for profiling indirect procedure calls in a Method and apparatus for profiling indirect procedure calls in a

1997-03-19

2000-02-15

Trammell, James P.

395705, 395708, 395709, G06F 944, G06F 945

Patent

active

060262346

ABSTRACT:
An apparatus and method provide more complete profile data by instrumenting indirect procedure calls in a computer program. Indirect procedure calls have a number of counters allocated in a table at each indirect call site. The counters are divided into counters in a low volatility area and counters in a high volatility area. The counters in the high volatility area have a pointer that identifies the next procedure to be replaced. As the instrumented code executes, a call to a procedure that is in the table increments the count of the counter in the table. A call to a procedure not in the table is placed in the high volatility area, displacing the procedure at the pointer, and moves the pointer to a new location. The displaced procedure is either promoted to the low volatility area, or is discarded. If promoted, the procedure that it displaces in the low volatility area is demoted to the high volatility area, displacing a procedure there at the pointer (and moving the pointer to a new location). This process continues until a displaced high volatility procedure is discarded.

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