Interactive Visualization for Memory Reference Traces

Abstract

We present the Memory Trace Visualizer (MTV), a tool that provides interactive visualization and analysis of the sequence of memory operations performed by a program as it runs. As improvements in processor performance continue to outpace improvements in memory performance, tools to understand memory access patterns are in- creasingly important for optimizing data intensive programs such as those found in scientific computing. Using visual representations of abstract data structures, a simulated cache, and animating memory operations, MTV can expose memory performance bottlenecks and guide programmers toward memory system optimization opportu- nities. Visualization of detailed memory operations provides a powerful and intuitive way to expose patterns and discover bottlenecks, and is an important addition to existing statistical performance measurements.