Performance improvement of critical code execution

Abstract

Portions of code containing critical code routines are identified and labeled, then compiled into Dynamic Link Libraries (“DLLs”) and linked such that the critical code routines are optimally loaded into a reserved address space in the DLL memory space. If supported, cache locking may be enabled for the reserved address space. The portions of source code containing portions of critical code for which execution performance is to be improved are labeled, and the source code is scanned prior to compilation to locate the labeled portions of critical code. A linker is configured to store all the labeled portions of critical code into an Executable and Linking Format (“ELF”) section header, which is relocated at run-time into a memory space reserved for the portions of critical code. Alternatively, the critical code is compiled and linked into an executable file containing the critical code, and the executable file is optimized by scanning the instruction stream and in-lining the critical code. A prolog and an epilog that accommodates this in-lined critical code is generated, and a single optimized DLL containing the critical code is generated, which is then loaded into a reserved memory space. Robust fault containment is facilitated through the use of code modules implemented as shared libraries that can be loaded and unloaded in a running system by individual processes. These code modules can be replaced individually as defects are found and fixed without requiring replacement of the entire system image or application image. What would normally be a monolithic application is modularized, and the sharing of common code among multiple applications is facilitated.