Visual Performance Analyzer

1. Where can I find usage guides?

Within Visual Performance Analyzer, please follow the Help link; the Help contents list available user guides. Dynamic help is also available: While Visual Performance Analyzer is open, simply press F1 in a view and a pane will open with information about the tool and the view you are in.

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2. Where can I find out more about what is new in Visual Performance Analyzer 6.3?

Within Visual Performance Analyzer, go to the Help pulldown menu, select Welcome, then click on What's new in VPA 6.3. Note that when you start Visual Performance Analyzer for the first time, the "Welcome" screen will automatically be displayed.

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3. How do I open a large profiling file in Profile Analyzer?

• If you don't use DB2®:
  1. You can try updating vpa.ini in your VPA directory. The minimum JVM heap memory size for running Visual Performance Analyzer is 128 MB, which is also the default setting. The recommended JVM (Java™ Virtual Machine) heap memory size is 256 MB if you manipulate large profiles. In order to change the default memory size, edit the configuration file vpa.ini in vpa directory and change the parameter "-vmargs -Xmx128m" to a bigger number. 512 MB or 1024 MB are also recommended values.
  2. Remove all files under hsql root dir, vpa-rcp\workspace\VPA Data.
• If you do use DB2: You also need to enlarge the JVM heap memory size. And please contact your DB2 administrator to enlarge the application heap size of your database. The recommended value is 2048. Please reference the DB2 infocenter: Tuning the application heap size.

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4. I can collect "tprof" results using the Visual Performance Analyzer remote connection. But I get no response when I collect "tprof" results with instructions.

Please make sure there is enough disk space under /tmp. Visual Performance Analyzer uploads scripts in the remote AIX /tmp directory and uses /tmp as working directory.

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5. I get an error on Linux when launching Visual Performance Analyzer: "Error loading: /opt/ibm/java2-i386-50/jre/bin/libj9thr23.so: cannot restore segment prot after reloc: Permission denied."

Here are two ways to resolve this problem:

cd installDir/bin
chcon -t texrel_shlib_t ../jre/bin/*.so
chcon -t texrel_shlib_t ../bin/*
chcon -t texrel_shlib_t ../lib/*
chcon -t texrel_shlib_t ../jre/bin/j9vm/libjvm.so

Or you can use vi /etc/selinux/config. Then modify so that SELINUX=disabled. Then reboot.

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6. I get an error on Linux® when launching Visual Performance Analyzer: "Error loading: libstdc++.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory."

On 64-bit Java: You need to install compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3-61.ppc64.rpm, as follows:
rpm -ivh compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3-61.ppc64.rpm On 32-bit Java. You need to install compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3-61.ppc.rpm, as follows:
rpm -ivh compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3-61.ppc.rpm

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7. Why won't my listing file open in VPA?

When you open a listing file in VPA, it is associated with the current process and symbol that you have selected. Make sure you select the process and symbol that the listing file was generated with, and then associate the listing file.

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8. Need I install Visual Performance Analyzer on every system I want to profile?

No; you can generate a profile on the system and then copy Visual Performance Analyzer input files to your ThinkPad or desktop that is running Visual Performance Analyzer.

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9. Why can't I open my listing file with Visual Performance Analyzer?

When you open a listing file in Visual Performance Analyzer, it is associated with the current process and symbol that you have selected. Make sure you select the process and symbol that the listing file was generated with, and then associate the listing file.

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10. How can I generate the .pipe and .config files that Pipeline Analyzer reads?

Please see IBM Performance Simulator for Linux on POWER™ here on alphaWorks®.

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11. Why can't I see resource information about Pipeline Analyzer?

In Pipeline Analyzer, the Scroll mode and Resource mode views are defined in the .config file. You cannot switch modes manually. If you open the .config file using a text editor, you will notice that the first line specifies the type of this file. But, once again, you cannot modify this type manually because, for Scroll mode and Resource mode files, the .pipe file contents are different. If you want to see the resource mode view working, you must use resource mode .pipe and .config files. For information about how to generate a .pipe file with resource information, please see the manuals in Visual Performance Analyzer Help.

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12. Why can I not profile a Java application with Performance Inspector?

This limitation is due to the profiling tools not being found under the PATH environment variable. Please add its directory, such as C:\IBMPERF\bin, to the PATH environment variable. Then restart VPA so that the new PATH variable will take effect.

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13. Why don't all the Code Analyzer views work on Linux Fedora Core 6?

VPA is using the Eclipse 3.1.1 SDK, and it appears to have a library conflict with Firefox 1.5.0.7. There are two views in Code Analyzer (Instruction Properties and Browser) that will not work on Fedora Core 6. VPA runs well on Fedora Core 5, and the Eclipse SDK it uses will be updated in future releases to solve this problem.

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