System and method on generating multi-dimensional trace files and visualizing them using multiple gantt charts

Abstract

A system and method for visualizing data in two-dimensional time-space diagrams including generating multi-dimensional program trace files, converting and merging them into interval trace files, and generating multiple time-space diagrams (multiple Gantt charts) to visualize the resulting multi-dimensional interval trace files. The needed events and trace information required to form multi-dimensional event traces are described in event trace files typically gathered from running programs, such as parallel programs for technical computing and Web server processes. The method includes converting event traces into interval traces. In one selectable design, the two-dimensional time-space diagrams includes three discriminator types (thread, processor, and activity) and six discriminator-legend combinations, capable of producing seven possible views. The six discriminator-legend combinations are thread-activity, thread-processor, processor-thread, processor-activity, activity-thread, and activity-processor. Each discriminator-legend combination corresponds to one time-space diagram, except that the thread-activity combination has two possible views: Thread-Activity View and Connected Thread-Activity View.