NVIDIA Corporation
Optimizing execution of computer programs using piecemeal profiles

Abstract:

Profile-guided optimization is a technique for optimizing execution of computer programs using profile information to improve program runtime performance. Obtaining the profile information can be challenging, especially in live production environments such as high-performance gaming systems. A profiling strategy is provided herein that obtains profile information without requiring extra effort from users. The profiling strategy collects several approximate, lightweight profiles called piecemeal profiles over one or more lifetimes of a computer program, or application. The piecemeal profiles are then used to generate whole program application profiles that can then be used to improve the execution of the application. A piecemeal profile is profile information of a section or portion of an application.