Introduction

Sampler UI provides the following three views:

• Analysis Report view: A graphical view, which shows the CPU usage charts by threads, by DLLs and by functions against time. It allows you to determine the region of CPU-intensive elements.

• Statistical Report view: A graphical view, which shows a Pie chart representing percentages of CPU time used by active elements.

• Properties Report view: A view, which shows data such as colors, samples, percentage in tabular format.

• Comparison Report view: A view, which shows the difference between two charts based on two profiler data files.

These views can be moved, closed, opened for viewing. See Managing Views for more information.

Analysis view displays the stacked area chart. This view contains 3 tabs namely Threads, Functions and DLLs. Each tab displays a stacked area chart where X-axis represents time in seconds and Y-axis the number of samples in a bucket. The chart displays sample occurrences over time as individual straight lines with a filled area below the line. These charts are refreshed whenever the bucket size is changed or whenever samples are selected or unselected in the Properties Report view.

This view provides the following features:

• Dependency mode: This allows you to find dependencies between threads, DLLs and functions.

• Set initial time interval: This resets the current data on X-axis to the original time scale. This option is used in conjunction with Select Region, Zoom in, Zoom out, Scroll back and Scroll forward options, to reset the time scale to the original value.

• Select Region: This allows you to select a time range at which the chart can be viewed.

• Zoom in: This allows you to zoom in the chart.

• Zoom out: This allows you to zoom out the chart.

• Scroll back: This allows you to scroll the chart to left on the time axis.

• Scroll forward: This allows you to scroll the chart to right on the time axis.

The above actions can be performed using the appropriate button that is provided on the top-right corner of the view.

All actions that can be performed on a chart (in Thread/Function/DLL tab) in the Analysis Report view can be performed on a chart in Comparison Report view. For example, zooming in or out, selecting the time range.

The profiling data required to plot the chart Analysis report view is read from the Eclipse preference store. See Importing the profiling data. Horizontal axis represents the time and the vertical axis represents the buckets of the CPU sample. You can specify the bucket size in Preference>Sampling. The default value is 100.

Buckets will be arranged in the ascending chronological order on the horizontal axis, but within the bucket, the time order will be insignificant. The time scale on the horizontal axis will be the real-time.

The statistical view displays the Pie chart, which contains the percentage of sample occurences within the current time scale shown in the Analytical report view. Each color in the Pie chart below represents a thread.

Properties Report view contains a table with the following columns:

• Colors: Each thread (thread ID) is mapped to a unique colour. Select or clear the check box corresponding to a colour block to select or unselect a CPU sample. When comparing the two charts, the newer chart picks same colours from the mapping for the joint set of threads. The disjoint threads should have new set of unique colours.

• Samples: Lists the sample names. To select or unselect a CPU sample, select or clear the corresponding check box.

  When you select a sample in the Properties Report view using check box, charts are refreshed to display this change.

• Time (ms): Time in milli seconds consumed by sample within the current time scale is shown in the Analysis report view.

• Percentage: Percentage of time consumed by CPU samples is shown in the Analysis Report view.

Properties Report view provides the following additional functionality:

• Selecting all CPU samples from the sample list to display in the Analysis Report view.

• Unselecting all CPU samples to remove from the Analysis Report view.

• Selecting samples with percentage of CPU time consumed greater than defined threshold value.

• Saving the information in WordPad.

Appropriate buttons on the top-right corner of the Properties Report view allows you to perform the above tasks.

Selecting samples above threshold value

Click 'Check above threshold' in the Properties Report view to select the check boxes corresponding to elements whose percentage of CPU time is above the threshold value.

This view is used to compare the two charts that are generated from the two profiler data files.

Complete the following steps to add the 'Comparison Report' view to the Sampler UI:

1. Select Show View > Other from the Window menu. The Show View dialog is displayed.

   

   Show View

2. Expand CPU Profiling and select Comparison Report.

3. Click OK. This loads the Comparison Report view that is used to compare the profiling data.

Adjusting charts

You can adjust charts by changing the origin of the X-axis to either a negative or a positive time value in the Analysis Report view. This option is used for better comparison of the charts.

Installing Sampler UI

Managing Views

Buckets