US 8,806,461 B2Granted

Using memory usage to pinpoint sub-optimal code for gaming systems

AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation

InventorsDavid Floyd Aronson, Parham Mohadjer, Matthew Russell Kimball, Bruce Michael Dawson

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Abstract

Systems and methods for using memory usage to pinpoint sub-optimal code for gaming systems are provided herein. Memory usage characteristics, such as latency, cache misses, load-hit-store, memory address misuse, and wasted cache bandwidth are presented, preferably in a graphical format, to provide the developer with information for optimizing source code. A trace analysis is performed on source code undergoing optimization. Relevant data is extracted from the trace analysis, sorted as necessary, and presented to the user. The user may be presented with multiple results sorting mechanisms as well as ways to change the presentation of the results.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of optimizing source code, comprising:

performing a trace analysis on the source code to collect trace analysis data;
extracting memory usage information from the trace analysis data;
displaying a source code listing of the source code;
receiving an indication that a user has used the source code listing to select a portion of source code in the source code listing;
based on the portion of source code selected using the source code listing:
identifying a memory address associated with the selected portion of source code;
identifying a first portion of the extracted memory usage information associated with the selected portion of source code;
and
displaying the memory address and the first portion of the extracted memory usage information associated with the selected portion of source code;
and
determining, from the extracted memory usage information, a memory address misuse in connection with a portion of memory addresses comprising a first sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to a first processing unit and a second sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to a second processing unit, the first sub-portion of memory addresses comprising the identified memory address associated with the selected portion of source code, the memory address misuse comprising an access by the second processing unit of the memory address in the first sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to the first processing unit.

8 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform acts comprising:

performing a trace analysis on source code to collect trace analysis data;
extracting memory usage information from the trace analysis data;
displaying a source code listing of the source code;
receiving an indication that a user has used the source code listing to select a portion of source code in the source code listing;
and
based on the portion of source code selected using the source code listing:
identifying a memory address associated with the selected portion of source code;
identifying a first portion of the extracted memory usage information associated with the selected portion of source code;
and
displaying the memory address and the first portion of the extracted memory usage information associated with the selected portion of source code;
and
determining, from the extracted memory usage information, a memory address misuse in connection with a portion of memory addresses comprising a first sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to a first processing unit and a second sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to a second processing unit, the first sub-portion of memory addresses comprising the identified memory address associated with the selected portion of source code, the memory address misuse comprising an access by the second processing unit of the memory address in the first sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to the first processing unit.

9 more elements

A computer system for optimizing source code, comprising:

at least one processor;
memory having stored therein processor executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to perform acts comprising:
performing a trace analysis on the source code to collect trace analysis data;
extracting memory usage information from the trace analysis data;
displaying a source code listing of the source code;
receiving an indication that a user has used the source code listing to select a portion of source code in the source code listing;
and
based on the portion of source code selected using the source code listing:
identifying a memory address associated with the selected portion of source code;
identifying a first portion of the extracted memory usage information associated with the selected portion of source code;
and
displaying the memory address and the first portion of the extracted memory usage information associated with the selected portion of source code;
and
determining, from the extracted memory usage information, a memory address misuse in connection with a portion of memory addresses comprising a first sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to a first processing unit and a second sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to a second processing unit, the first sub-portion of memory addresses comprising the identified memory address associated with the selected portion of source code, the memory address misuse comprising an access by the second processing unit of the memory address in the first sub-portion of memory addresses allocated to the first processing unit.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.