Design of a Communication Modeling Tool for Debugging Parallel Programs

Abstract

This paper describes a system tool designed for debugging the interprocess communication of a m1:ssagepassing parallel program. The tool includcs an i nteractive environment that helps the user generate a yaphical display of the program-in-question’s e pected communication behavior. This graph is consicl xed to be the program’s communication model. The debugging tool then runs the real program and comp res the aforementioned model to the program’s actui 1 communication behavior determined at run timi . The results of the comparison are displayed via a g~ phical animation that is based on the model-grap I. The debugging tool provides the user with a mechari ism for directing a debugging session based on the user s mental abstractions of a program’s communicatioi structure. Additionally, the communication model can be designed for any level of the program allow ng the user to debug the program in a top-down fashioi I.