Integrating Database Technology with Comparison-based Parallel Performance Diagnosis: The PerfTrack Performance Experiment Management Tool

• Main Authors: Karavanic, Karen L., May, John, Mohror, Kathryn, Miller, Brian, Huck, Kevin, Knapp, Rashawn, Pugh, Brian
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Computer interfaces; Computer science; Computer systems organization > Architectures > Distributed architectures; Concurrent computing; General and reference > Cross-computing tools and techniques > Design; General and reference > Cross-computing tools and techniques > Measurement; General and reference > Cross-computing tools and techniques > Metrics; Government; Information systems > Data management systems > Database management system engines > Parallel and distributed DBMSs; Laboratories; Large scale integration; Performance analysis; Prototypes; Technology management
• DOI: 10.1109/SC.2005.36

PerfTrack is a data store and interface for managing performance data from large-scale parallel applications. Data collected in different locations and formats can be compared and viewed in a single performance analysis session. The underlying data store used in PerfTrack is implemented with a database management system (DBMS). PerfTrack includes interfaces to the data store and scripts for automatically collecting data describing each experiment, such as build and platform details. We have implemented a prototype of PerfTrack that can use Oracle or PostgreSQL for the data store. We demonstrate the prototype's functionality with three case studies: one is a comparative study of an ASC purple benchmark on high-end Linux and AIX platforms; the second is a parameter study conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) on two high end platforms, a 128 node cluster of IBM Power 4 processors and BlueGene/L; the third demonstrates incorporating performance data from the Paradyn Parallel Performance Tool into an existing PerfTrack data store.