Performance Visualization of SLALOM

Abstract

Performance visua1,ization provides insights about the complex operation of concurrent computer systems. SLAL O W M is a scalable, fuced-time coinputer benchmark. Each corresponds to U method of computer performance evaluation: monitoring and benchmarking, respectively. Whereas benchmark programs typically report singlenumber performance naetrics for ease of comparison among different machines, a perforfinance monitor (via instrumentation and visualization) gives (a detailed account of the dynamks of program execution. Using sofrware tools developed for the nCCBE 2 and the MasPar MP-1 distributed memory machines and applied to the SLALOM program, we demonstrate the utility of performance visualization for fine-tuning algorithms and understanding phenomena. The tools include PICL and ParaGraph and custom VISTA components.