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The Burroughs B1800 microprogrammed measurement system: A hybrid hardware/software approach

Published:01 September 1977Publication History
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Abstract

Traditional computers are not usually effective assistants in their own measurement.

It is cost-prohibitive to dedicate much of the hardware to measurement. And, when any is dedicated, it is usually too rigidly attached to the hardware itself to follow the rapidly changing software structures.

Software measurement tools, on the other hand, often exhibit overhead penalties and usually remain tools for a few elite “system” programmers. The majority - programming in “non system” languages like COBOL, FORTRAN, and RPG - look to these “experts” for analysis of their own programs' performance.

The B1800 utilizes a hybrid measurement approach which retains many of the advantages of traditional hardware and software monitoring while avoiding the rigidity of hardware-only measurements and the overhead of software-only measurements. This hybrid system is easily implemented in ordinary high level languages like COBOL, RPG, and FORTRAN and easily used by non-system programmers.

References

  1. 1 Belgard, R. "An Implementation of BLAISE on the Burroughs Master project at S.U.N.Y." - Buffalo, New York, June, 1974.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  2. 2 Bell, T. E. "Computer Performance Analysis Measurement Objectives and Tools" Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, California, February, 1971 (R-584 NASA/PR).Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  3. 3 Phillippakis, A. "Programming Language Usage" - Datamation, October, 1973, p. 109.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  4. 4 Saal, H. J. and Shustek, L. J. "Microprogrammed Implementation of Computer Measurement Techniques" - Stanford University, SLAC Publication 1972 CS 294 (misc.), July, 1972.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  5. 5 Wilner, W. T. "Design of the Burroughs B1700" - FJCC 1973, pp. 489-498.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  6. 6 Wilner, W. T. "Burroughs B1700 Memory Utilization" FJCC 1973, pp. 579-586.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar

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  1. The Burroughs B1800 microprogrammed measurement system: A hybrid hardware/software approach

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