HERCULE: Non-invasively Tracking Java Component-Based Application Activity

Abstract. This paper presents HERCULE, an approach to non-invasively tracking end-user application activity in a distributed, componentbased system. Such tracking can support the visualisation of user and application activity, system auditing, monitoring of system performance and the provision of feedback. A framework is provided that allows the insertion of proxies, dynamically and transparently, into a componentbased system. Proxies are inserted in between the user and the graphical user-interface and between the client application and the rest of the distributed, component-based system. The paper describes: how the code for the proxies is generated by mining component documentation; how they are inserted without affecting pre-existing code; and how information produced by the proxies can be used to model application activity. The viability of this approach is demonstrated by means of a prototype implementation

Visualizing the memory performance of parallel programs with Chiron

Bibliography: leaves 78-81.This thesis describes Chiron, visualization system which helps programmers detect memory system bottlenecks in their shared-memory parallel applications. Chiron is different from most other performance debugging tools in that it uses three-dimensional graphics techniques to display vast amounts of memory-performance data. Both code-and data-oriented information can be presented in several views. These views have been designed to help the user detect problems which cause coherence interference or replacement interference. Chiron’s interactive user-interface enables the user to manipulate the views and home in on features which indicate memory system bottlenecks. The visualized data can be augmented with more detailed numerical and correlations between the separate views can be displayed. The effectiveness of Chiron is illustrated in this thesis by means of three case studies

Visualizing the performance of parallel programs

Bibliography: pages 110-115.The performance analysis of parallel programs is a complex task, particularly if the program has to be efficient over a wide range of parallel machines. We have designed a performance analysis system called Chiron that uses scientific visualization techniques to guide and help the user in performance analysis activities. The aim of Chiron is to give the user full control over what section of the data he/she wants to investigate in detail. Chiron uses interactive three-dimensional graphics techniques to display large amounts of data in a compact and easy to understand/ conceptualize way. The system assists in the tracking of performance bottlenecks by showing data in 10 different views and allowing the user to interact with the data. In this thesis the design and implementation of Chiron are described, and its effectiveness illustrated by means of three case studies

A Generic Feedback Mechanism for Component-Based Systems

Computers have been integrated into all spheres and occupations and the need for users to easily understand how to use each computer application has become paramount. The end-user should not be expected to decipher cryptic messages or to understand the inner functioning of the computer itself. With computer-users spanning all walks of life, there is a need for a change in the mind-set of software developers in making their product more user-friendly. In addition, software systems of the future will increasingly be built from independent encapsulated software components and will often be distributed over various sites. This new paradigm brings a new realm of complexity for the end-user, especially with respect to the increased possibility of failure, so that in addition to the nontrivial task of interpreting the general functioning of an application, the user will be expected to deal with the results of perplexing errors too. The nature of component- based systems makes the provision of support for handling errors far more difficult due to the independent and diffuse nature of the creators of the individual parts making up these systems. Other factors with respect to application use also need to be addressed. For example, it is a rare user who is able to spend 100% of his or her time concentrating on interaction with the computer, without distractions of some sort interrupting. It is even rarer to find an application which is not prone to occasionally unintelligible error messages or breakdowns. Few applications are designed with these realities in mind and when problems do occur, or users are interrupted, they often find it difficult to recover and to resume their primary task. It is also difficult for applications to tailor the provided feedback according to the specific needs of different end-users or the differing roles within which they function. This dissertation will highlight the role of feedback in increasing the interpretability of an application and in alleviating the effects of interruptions, errors and breakdowns. Rather than expecting feedback to be provided by programmers, this dissertation will argue that feedback can be enhanced in a distributed component-based system by separating the feedback concern from the basic functional concern of the application and executing the application within a generic feedback enhancing framework. The feedback concept is examined in depth and the role of feedback in enhancing understanding of applications, and in alleviating the effects of disturbances in our working day, is explored. The concept of a generic framework for enhancing feedback has been developed and a prototype implemented. The design and implementation of this prototype are described, as is the evaluation of the feedback thus produced