The Automatic Generation of Software Performance Models From a Prototype

Early performance estimates for a new software system aid the design process by providing feedback when design decisions can be easily revised. Unfortunately, constructing a performance model of a distributed and concurrent software system can require significant effort. An automated performance model generation technique is described that reduces the model building effort by providing: easy specification of performance experiments, empirical estimates for model parameters, automated model generation, and support for different types of models. A prototype is used to describe a software system, from which causal traces (angio traces) are recorded during execution. These traces are then processed into sequences of resource demands (workthreads), aggregated into system execution descriptions (workthread classes), and combined to generate a performance model. The technique can also be applied at other stages of the development process, including the redesign of existing software. Page ii..