PTP/ETFw/PTP External Tools Framework

Overview

• What is PTFw?
  • The PTP Performance Tools Framework aims to decrease the amount of "Eclipse plumbing" that must be done to integrate existing Performance Tools in Eclipse, and provide pieces and parts to provide new tools within Eclipse.
  • The PTFw provides easy integration of launching existing (e.g. command-line) tools from Eclipse. With just an XML file, an existing app can be launched, with Eclipse UI generated to solicit arguments from the user, launch the tool, and launch any analysis of the results.
  • Workflow specified in the tool xml file specifies the steps to take. Each tools can have three distinct sections:
    • compile - the compile section specifies commands to prepend the existing compiler. See xml file details and examples.
    • execute - the execute section includes utilities which prepend the actual executable, and run to gather information.
    • analyze - the analyze section contains tools which can be launched on data produced after program execution is complete. They run in a predetermined sequence. Analysis tools can also be created as eclipse plug-ins and are launched to display output within the eclipse workbench.

References

See also original design page - Performance Tools Framework Design : Preliminary design of Performance Tools Framework

Tool XML file

attach annotated xml file

PTFw implementations

• TAU
  • TAU was the original application for which the PTFw tools were developed by Wyatt Spear (U. Oregon). Much of the original functionality has been generalized in the PTFw, but extensions are available (and utilized for TAU) for any features not currently available. That is, write your own eclipse plug-in code for any additional features.
• TaskFinder
  • A tool for instrumenting a binary executable with the Intel PIN tool, and sampling memory references, was developed by IBM. The PTFw was utilized to provide a convenient user interface for the launching of TF with its arguments, and display an eclipse view (analyze section) that displays the results found, and maps the results back to source code lines. Developed by Beth Tibbitts (IBM Research) and should be available shortly (targeted for PTP 2.1 in August).

PTFw extention points

• org.eclipse.ptp.perf.workflows
  • Handles specification of the steps to be performed in the perf/profile launch
    • Three sections: compile, execute, and analyze
    • Allows integration of external or command line tools, or eclipse plug-in tools
    • Any of the three steps are optional
  • allows the workflow XML document to be specified in the plug-in
    • without this, a workflow XML document can be specified by the end user in the Preferences, without any Eclipse code needed
  • workflow XML doc can specify one or more steps for each:
    • compile, execute, and analyze
• org.eclipse.ptp.perf.configurationTabs
  • Handles additional tabs and UI features in launch dialog
• org.eclipse.ptp.perf.dataManagers
  • Handles arbitrary post-processing