Improving Application Performance with the PowerBuilder Trace Engine and Profiler Application William B. Heys Senior Consultant

Improving Application Performance with the

PowerBuilder Trace Engine and Profiler Application

William B. Heys

Senior Consultant

Copyright 1999, Whittman-Hart, Inc. all rights reservedPage: 3

Stop me at any time for questions


Improving Application Performance


Topics

PowerBuilder Tracing and Profiling Features Trace Engine Profile Objects and API Profiler Application


Tracing and Profiling

Helps identify and correct errors Helps identify performance bottlenecks Collects data and traces path through a PowerBuilder

application during execution Tracing is available for both run-time executables and in

development environment


PowerBuilder Trace Engine

As the application runs, the PB Virtual Machine captures information about what the application does What events and functions (routines) are executed (including

system functions) How long routines took to execute What other routines were called by a routine The exact order in which routines were executed (including line #

information)



As each profiling event occurs, an entry is written to the file Profiling events are not Windows events

Trace file contains a log of timer values at certain activity points

User can control how much detail is logged


TraceFile


Has a default name Application name With file extension .PBP

Saved in binary format Not PBDebug - cannot be opened in a text editor

Saved in the same directory as the PBL (by default) Not portable across operating systems



Profiling adds overhead to the execution of the application The time taken to generate the profiling information is

subtracted from the event time in the file Relative times should be consistent, overall times will

fluctuate


Tracing Distributed Applications

Logging is separate for each session Can trace individual client sessions or the main session Can trace multiple sessions at the same using separate

trace files


Collect trace data while running the application:

Tracing and Profiling Steps

Trace Engine Data Collection

Application Trace File


DisplayAnalysisTrace File

Tracing and Profiling Steps

Analyze trace file and display results:


Tracing a PowerBuilder Application

In development environment Enable tracing from System Options dialog box profiling tab

When running a PowerBuilder executable Use the w_StartTrace window (copy from PROFILE.PBL) Use PowerScript functions to control tracing


System Options Dialog Box

Profiling Tab



Profiling Tab



Enables tracing when running application from the development environment

Traces the entire application Stops capturing data when the application stops


Trace Timer Kinds

Clock Process Thread None


Clock Timer Measures absolute time in microseconds with reference to an

external activity such as the machine’s startup time Clock timer’s resolution is machine dependent

Speed of machine’s CPU may affect timer’s resolution Resolution may be less than one microsecond - smallest measurable unit of

time

Default for Windows 95 and Windows NT Not available on Unix (always uses thread)


Process or Thread Timer Measures time in microseconds with reference to when the

process or thread being executed started More accurate measurement of actual time a process or thread

takes to execute Excludes time taken by other running processes or threads Lower resolution than clock timer

Use thread for Distributed PowerBuilder applications Not available on Win16 UNIX always uses thread timer


TraceActivity Types

Start and end of logging ActBegin!

Routine (Entry/Exit) ActRoutine!

Routine Line Hits ActLine!

Embedded SQL Verbs (Begin/End) ActESQL!

Object Creation and Destruction ActObjectCreate! and ActObjectDestroy!


TraceActivity Types

User-defined Activities ActUser!

Records an informational message

System Errors and Warnings ActError!

Garbage Collection ActGarbageCollect!


TraceActivity Types

Profile Trace ActProfile!

Includes routine entry/exit, embedded SQL verbs, object creation/destruction, and garbage collection

Complete Trace ActTrace!

Traces everything except routine line hits

Note: above are not available in development, only by calling PowerScript function


Using Profiler w_StartTrace dialog

Copy w_StartTrace window from PROFILE.PBL to your own application library (PBL)

Add code to your application to open w_StartTrace Run your application Open w_StartTrace to start tracing View the trace file in application profile


Using Profiler w_StartTrace dialog


Opening and Closing the Trace File

Open a trace file and set timer kind TraceOpen ( readonly string filename, TimerKind timer ) returns

ErrorReturn

Close the trace file TraceClose() returns ErrorReturn


Enable/Disable TraceActivity Types

Enable or Disable logging for activity types while trace file is open but when logging is inactive Enable logging for a specified activity type

TraceEnableActivity ( TraceActivity activity ) returns ErrorReturn

Disable logging of a specified activity (when trace file is open but while logging is inactive)

TraceDisableActivity ( TraceActivity activity ) returns ErrorReturn


Start and Stop Trace

Start logging all enabled activities TraceBegin ( readonly string identifier ) returns ErrorReturn

Identifier (trace block label) is optional

Stop logging all enabled activities TraceEnd() returns ErrorReturn

Note - only while trace file is open


Trace Errors or User Activities

Log a severity level and error message TraceError ( long severity, readonly string message ) returns ErrorReturn

Log a reference number and informational message TraceUser ( long info, readonly string message ) returns ErrorReturn

Note - only while tracing is active


Analyzing Trace Results

You have to interpret the results yourself Build custom analysis and display applications using new

profiling and trace system objects Read the trace file using various PowerScript functions These functions return objects or arrays of objects

containing information about the execution of the application


Two Analysis Models Are Provided

Profiling Package Performance Analysis (Call Graph model) Class or Routine

Trace Tree Package Step by step flow of application execution

Customized Trace File Analysis Trace file has raw data in readable form Uss Performance analysis functions to perform customized

analysis


Profiling Package (Call Graph)

Builds a performance analysis or call graph model Contains all the routines called in the trace file Generates accumulated time and hits relative to one

function calling another


Trace Tree Package

Builds a trace tree model Maintains the ordering of the trace file Reflects the execution sequence Used to build Trace view


Processing the Trace File

PowerBuilder provides A new Profiler API to process the trace file New Profiler classes

Raw data is returned as instance variables using interface functions

Available to PowerBuilder developers Simplifies developing custom analysis tools


Trace tree classes

Performance analysis modeling and

trace file classes

New Profiler Classes


Trace Analysis PowerScript Functions

Set trace file to analyze SetTraceFileName ( string tracefilename ) returns ErrorReturn

Use with Profiling or TraceTree Objects


Building a Trace Analysis Model

Build a call graph model BuildModel ( powerobject progressobject, string eventname, long

triggerpercent ) returns ErrorReturn Use with Profiling or TraceTree Object All arguments are optional May take a long time Can track progress of the build by specifying a user-defined event


Profiling PowerScript Functions

Get a list of classes in the model Classlist ( ref ProfileClass list[] ) returns ErrorReturn

Use with Profiling object

Get a list of routines in a model or class RoutineList ( ref profileroutine list[ ] ) returns ErrorReturn

Use with Profiling and ProfileClass objects



Get routine root node for model SystemRoutine ( ref ProfileRoutine routine) returns ErrorReturn

Use with Profiling Object

Get list of routines calling the specified routine IncomingCallList ( ref ProfileCall list[], boolean

aggregateduplicateroutinecalls ) returns ErrorReturn Use with ProfileRoutine Object



Get list of routines called by the specified routine OutgoingCallList ( ref profilecall list[], boolean

aggregateduplicateroutinecalls ) returns ErrorReturn Use with ProfileRoutine and ProfileLine Object



Get list of lines in routine LineList ( ref profileline list[ ] ) returns ErrorReturn

Use with ProfileRoutine Object

Line number sequence


Trace Tree PowerScript Functions

Get a list of top-level entries in the trace tree model EntryList ( ref tracetreenode list[ ] ) returns ErrorReturn

Use With TraceTree object


Trace Tree PowerScript Functions

Get a list of children of the routine or object GetChildrenList ( ref tracetreenode list[ ] ) returns ErrorReturn

Use with TraceTreeRoutine, TraceTreeObject and TraceTreeGarbageCollect objects


Trace Analysis PowerScript Functions

Destroy the current performance analysis model DestroyModel() returns ErrorReturn

Use with Profiling or TraceTree objects Cleans up all objects associated with the model


Reading the Trace File

Open the trace file Open ( string filename )

Use with TraceFile object

Return next activity in trace file NextActivity ( ) returns TraceActivityNode

Use with TraceFile object Information about category of activity Timer value when activity occurred Activity type

TraceFile


Reading the Trace File

Reset next activity to beginning of file Reset() returns ErrorReturn


Close Trace file Close()


TraceFile


Analyzing Trace results

Use the application profiler tool provided as a companion product with the enterprise edition of PowerBuilder (PROFILE.PBL) Written in PowerBuilder Source code is provided


Application Profiler

Three views extracted from a call graph model: Class view Routine view Trace view

Numeric views can generally be sorted by by clicking on a column header

Views can be printed


Application Profiler


Application Profiler - Routines

Routine Events and functions are considered the same Different icons displayed for functions and events

Routine Aggregation Option to aggregate statistics when a routine is called from two or

more different places in a script With aggregation, each routine is listed only once within a script Without aggregation, a routine may be listed multiple times for a

script


Call Graph Model - Timing Information

Hits - number of times a routine was called Self time - time spent in the routine, excluding time spent

calling other routines AbsoluteSelfTime - total for all executions MinSelfTime - shortest single execution MaxSelfTime - longest single execution PercentSelfTime - percentage AbsoluteSelfTime to total trace time

for the run


Call Graph Model - Timing Information

Total time (self + called) - time spent in the routine including time spent calling other routines AbsoluteTotalTime - total time for all executions MinTotalTime - shortest single execution MaxTotalTime - longest single execution PercentTotalTime - percentage AbsoluteTotalTime to total trace

time for the run


Profiler Class View

Each system or user-defined class having any routines executed is listed

Displays # of hits and timing information for all routines called in a class

Embedded SQL appears in a psuedo class called ESQL Can ‘drill-down’ to see data for each routine and

subroutines it calls Three tabs: numbers, graph and source code


Profiler Class View


Profiler Routine View

Shows calls, hits, and timing information for all routines (functions and events) executed

Shows where each routine is called from and the calls it makes to other routines

Two tabs: detail and source code view Routine detail shows minimum and maximum times when a

routine is called more than once


Profiler Routine View


Profiler Trace View

Shows the elapsed time taken by each activity in chronological order (execution path)

Expandable/collapsible tree view shows details for each routine

Line by line detail of user-written routines is available (if line information was captured during profiling)

Source code is available for each line Similar to pbdebug output


ProfilerTrace View


Interpreting Trace Results

Look for classes and routines consuming a significant percentage of overall execution time

Look for routines called many times Particularly routines consuming a large percentage of overall time An small improvement here may make a big change in overall time


Interpreting Trace Results

Look for routines that are called once or twice but use a large percentage of time There may be a way to improve the routine

Look at database access Tuning the SQL can make a big difference


Demo


CPD ProfessionalCertified PowerBuilder DeveloperSince 1994

Advanced CSICertified Sybase Instructor (Tools)Since 1992

Founded Boston PowerBuilder UserGroup in 1992

About the Speaker


Special Edition Using PowerBuilder 6


Special Edition Using PowerBuilder 6

ISBN: 0-7897-1437-x Macmillan (Que) website (www.mcp.com)

Go to Site Search, Book Information and enter ISBN

Amazon.Com (www.amazon.com) Search on author: Heys, William

SoftPro Bookstore (www.SoftPro.com)


Articles on the Web “Improving Application Performance with the PowerBuilder Trace

Engine and Application Profiler”published online in Sybase Powerline magazine

“Application Partitioning – Architecting Applications for the Future”published online at PowerCard99, sponsored by Sybase in U.K.


Articles in “EASy Does IT: Migrating Applications from Distributed

PowerBuilder to Enterprise Application Server 3.0”published in PowerTimes, July-August 1999

“A Brighter future for PowerBuilder and Sybase”Guest editorial published in PowerTimes, July-August 1999

“The New Millennium is Bugging Me, PowerBuilder and the Year 2000 issue”published in PowerTimes, January-February 1999 issue.


Books and Articles by Bill Heys Special Edition Using PowerBuilder 5.0.

Co-author, published by QueJune 1996

“NVOs How and Why”Posted to CompuServe (Go PBForum)NVO Library SectionFilename is NVOHOW.ZipAugust 1995


PowerBuilder Advisor Columns “How the PowerBuilder 5.0 Foundation Class Libraries

Implement a Service-Based Architecture.” November-December 1996

“New Language Features in PowerBuilder 5.0.”September-October 1996

“Managing your PowerBuilder Objects.”May-June 1996

“Encapsulating Your Objects”March-April 1996

“Introduction to Custom Classes”January-February 1996 (Premier Issue)


William B. HeysSenior Consultant+1 (781) 203-3171 direct+1 (617) 513-0296 cellbill.heys @ marchFIRST.combheys @ [email protected]

You can reach me...

marchFIRST, Inc.128 Corporate Center70 Blanchard Rd., 2nd FlooorBurlington, MA 01803+1 (781) 203-3000 tel+1 (781) 203-3050 faxwww.marchFIRST.com

Documents

Improving Application Performance with the PowerBuilder Trace Engine and Profiler Application William B. Heys Senior Consultant