Method and Apparatus for Maintaining Performance Monitoring Structures in a Page Table for Use in Monitoring Performance of a Computer Program

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for executing instructions in a data processing system, comprising:

• first instructions for associating one or more instructions of a computer program with one or more performance indicators;
• second instructions for storing the one or more performance indicators in one or more performance indicator fields of a page table;
• third instructions for initiating one or more counter fields in the page table for the one or more instructions in association with corresponding performance indicators of the one or more performance indicators;
• fourth instructions for incrementing counter values in the one or more counter fields during execution of an instruction of the computer program based on whether the instruction has an associated performance indicator in a performance indicator field of the page table;
• fifth instructions for storing one or more threshold values in one or more threshold fields of the page table in association with the one or more performance indicator fields and the one or more counter fields, wherein each of the one or more threshold values specifies a maximum counter value in an associated counter field;
• and
• sixth instructions for generating a selected action in response to the counter value in an associated counter field exceeding the threshold value in an associated threshold field.

An apparatus for executing instructions in a data processing system, comprising:

• means for associating one or more instructions of a computer program with one or more performance indicators;
• means for storing the one or more performance indicators in one or more performance indicator fields of a page table;
• means for initiating one or more counter fields in the page table for the one or more instructions in association with corresponding performance indicators of the one or more performance indicators;
• means for incrementing counter values in the one or more counter fields during execution of an instruction of the computer program based on whether the instruction has an associated performance indicator in a performance indicator field of the page table;
• means for storing one or more threshold values in one or more threshold fields of the page table in association with the one or more performance indicator fields and the one or more counter fields, wherein each of the one or more threshold values specifies a maximum counter value in an associated counter field;
• and
• means for generating a selected action in response to the counter value in an associated counter field exceeding the threshold value in an associated threshold field.