2.4. STARTING VAMPIR AND LOADING A TRACE FILE
If Vampir was associated with *.otf files during the installation process, it is also possi-
ble to start the application by double-clicking an *.otf file.
The trace files to be loaded have to be compliant with the Open Trace Format (OTF)
standard (described in Chapter 1.2). Microsoft HPC Server 2008 is shipped with the
translator program etl2otf.exe, which produces appropriate input files for this platform.
While Vampir is loading the trace file, an empty “Trace View” window with a progress
bar at the bottom opens. After Vampir loaded the trace data completely, a default set
of charts will appear. The loading process can be interrupted at any time by clicking on
the cancel button in the lower right corner of the “Trace View”, depicted in Figure 2.3.
Because events in the trace file are loaded one after another, the GUI will open but
only show the earliest, already loaded information from the trace file. For large trace
files with performance problems assumed to be at the beginning, this proceeding is a
suitable strategy to save time.
Figure 2.3: Progress Bar and Cancel Loading Button
The basic functionality and navigation elements of the GUI are described in Chapter 3.
The available charts and the information provided by them are explained in Chapter 4.
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CHAPTER 3. BASICS
3 Basics
After loading has been completed, the “Trace View” window title displays the trace file’s
name as depicted in Figure 3.1. By default the “Charts” toolbar and the “Zoom Toolbar”
are available.
Figure 3.1: Trace View Window with Charts Toolbar (A) and Zoom Toolbar (B)
Furthermore, a default set of charts is opened automatically after loading has been
finished. The charts can be divided into three groups: timeline-, statistical-, and infor-
mational charts. Timeline charts show detailed event based information for arbitrary
time intervals while statistical charts reveal accumulated measures which were com-
puted from the corresponding event data. Informational charts provide additional or
explanatory information regarding timeline- and statistical charts. All available charts
can be opened with the “Charts” toolbar which is explained in Chapter 3.5.
In the following sections we will explain the basic functions of the Vampir GUI which
are generic to all charts. If you are already familiar with the fundamentals feel free to
skip this chapter. The details of the different charts are explained in Chapter 4.
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3.1. CHART ARRANGEMENT
3.1 Chart Arrangement
Figure 3.2: A Custom Chart Arrangement in the Trace View Window
The utility of charts can be increased by correlating them and their provided informa-
tion. Vampir supports this mode of operation by allowing to display multiple charts at
the same time. All timeline charts, such as the “Master Timeline” and the “Process
Timeline” display a sequence of events. Those charts are therefore aligned vertically.
This alignment ensures that the temporal relationship of events is preserved across
chart boundaries.
The user can arrange the placement of the charts according to his preferences by
dragging them into the desired position. When the left mouse button is pressed while
the mouse pointer is located above a placement decoration, the layout engine will give
visual clues as to where the chart may be moved. As soon as the user releases the left
mouse button the chart arrangement will be changed according to his intentions. The
entire procedure is depicted in Figures 3.3 and 3.4.
The layout engine furthermore allows a flexible adjustment of the screen space that is
used by a chart. Charts of particular interest may get more space in order to render
information in more detail.
The “Trace View” window can host an arbitrary number of charts. Charts can be added
by clicking on the respective “Charts” toolbar icon or the corresponding “Chart” menu
entry. With a few more clicks, charts can be combined to a custom chart arrangement
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CHAPTER 3. BASICS
Figure 3.3: Moving and Arranging Charts in the Trace View Window (1)
Figure 3.4: Moving and Arranging Charts in the Trace View Window (2)
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3.2. CONTEXT MENUS
as depicted in Figure 3.2. Customized layouts can be saved as described in Chap-
ter 6.3.
Every chart can be undocked or closed by clicking the dedicated icon in its upper right
corner as shown in Figure 3.5. Undocking a chart means to free the chart from the
current arrangement and present it in an own window. To dock/undock a chart follow
Figure 3.6, respectively Figure 3.7.
Figure 3.5: Closing (right) and Undocking (left) of a Chart
Considering that labels, e.g., those showing names or values of functions often need
more space to show its whole text, there is a further option of resizing. In order to
read labels completely, it might be useful to alter the distribution of space shared by
the labels and the graphical representation in a chart. When hovering the blank space
between labels and graphical representation, a movable separator appears. By drag-
ging the separator decoration with the left mouse button the chart space provided for
the labels can be resized. The whole process is illustrated in Figure 3.8.
All chart displays have their own context menu containing common as well as display
specific entries. In this section only the most common entries will be discussed. A
context menu can be accessed by right clicking anywhere in the chart window.
Common entries are:
• Reset Zoom: Go back to the initial state in horizontal zooming.
• Reset Vertical Zoom: Go back to the initial state in vertical zooming.
• Set Metric: Set the values which should be represented in the chart, e.g., change
from “Exclusive Time” to “Inclusive Time”.
• Sort By: Rearrange values or bars by a certain characteristic.
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