Method and system for collaborative profiling for continuous detection of profile phase transitions

A system, comprising:

• a processor pipeline to generate a profile ID for each profiled edge, and generate profile update operations;
• a profile information register coupled to the processor pipeline;
• a first logic device to accept the profile update operations and profile ID to generate a memory buffer address;
• a profile cache to accept the buffer address connected to the first logic device;
• and
• a second logic device connected to the profile cache to generate a phase transition interrupt signal,
• wherein the system performs edge profiling on a program including directly measuring branch execution frequencies over an entire execution period of the program, detects profile phase transitions repeatedly, wherein a profile phase transition is an indication that one or more cold program edges have become a corresponding number of hot program edges, and optimizes the program based upon the profile phase transitions.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

• during execution of a program, repeatedly performing edge profiling, comprising:
• detecting profile phase transitions in the program by profiling hardware;
• updating profile phase transitions by the profiling hardware in response to detected profile phase transitions;
• signaling profile chase transitions to a dynamic optimizer by the profiling hardware;
• and
• optimizing the program by the dynamic optimizer based upon the profile phase transitions.