Performance analysis using pipeline visualization

High-end microprocessors are increasing in complexity to push the limits of speed and performance. As a result, analyzing these complex systems can be an arduous task. Architectural simulators, acting as software processors, are able to run programs and give statistics about the performance of the code on the design. While these statistics are valuable for identifying problems, they often do not provide the fidelity necessary to diagnose the cause of sluggish performance. This paper presents a cross-platform tool that can be used to visualize the flow of instructions through an architectural processor pipeline model. The Graphical Pipeline Viewer, GPV, uses a colorized pipeline trace display to deliver an efficient diagnostic and analysis environment. The resource view of the tool, which can display cycle statistics, aids in distinguishing possible bottlenecks and architectural trade-offs. As such, the tool is able to suggest code and architectural modifications to increase program performance.