Distributed Programs Monitor

Conventional programs have a single stream of execution. Distributed programs expand on this notion, having multiple streams of execution that interact with each other. This expansion increases the complexity of a program's behavior. Existing program monitors do not provide enough information to deal with all of the problems of a distributed computing environment. This paper is concerned with the development of a programming tool for Berkeley UNIX whose goal is to characterize the performance of distributed programs. The Distributed Programs Monitor (DPM) monitors specifically the interactions between the processes of a distributed program and provides routines to analyze the resulting data. DPM is a tool composed of independent subtools that work together to monitor a distributed program. This paper will present a overview of DPM including a bit of its history and a bit of its experimental use, but it deals primarily with the development of a control process for the monitor. The design and the implementation of this process is described. A major issue of the design addresses how to provide distributed process management in a nondistributed processing environment. Research supported by the Na.tional Science Founda.tion gra.nt MC>8010688, the Sta.te of California. MICRO progra.m, a.nd the Defense Adva.nce Resea.rch Projects Agency (DoD) Arpa. Order No. 4031 monitored by Na.val Electronic System Comma.nd under Contra.ct No. N00030-82-C-0235. The views and conclusions conta.ined in this document are those of the &uthor and should not be interpreted &S representing official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency or of the United Sta.tes Government. Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.