A measurement-based performance analyzer for real-time programs

The authors present a system that uses program measurements as an aid in analyzing the performance behavior of real-time programs. The authors propose a system that can measure the time required for a task under various conditions, and integrate these measured times into a parametric model supplied by the programmer. The measurement must require only insignificant time compared to the task being performed. Some capabilities of such a system include: analysis of program structures that are impossible for other systems, such as unbounded loops and recursive control structures; providing accurate timing information even on hardware whose timing behavior is difficult to model and analyze; and providing confidence in the timing model by validating it statistically for goodness of fit. The system allows for dependency of the execution time on the input data. It allows the programmer to build a model of a task's timing behavior that incorporates world knowledge, and gives a measure of statistical confidence that the model accurately represents the program's actual behavior.