Software accounting and the hardware monitor
Richard L. Madden · 1972
A problem was faced by the Systems Performance Analyst of a large corporation: could a dual-processor system be downgraded to a uniprocessor system and still handle the work-load within pre-determined time-constraints? No one particular tool for measurement existed that would be adequate; a further constraint existed in the analyst's suspicion that the system was loaded to the point that the overhead from specially designed “snap” or “sniffer” programs would be intolerable. An answer was needed almost immediately; thus information for analysis had to be generated immediately. By the marrying of an existing software accounting analysis system and a hardware monitor, satisfactory results were achieved to enable the analyst to recommend a decision.