The Timeline Tab

The Timeline tab shows a chart of events as a function of time. The event and sample data for each experiment and each LWP is displayed separately, rather than being aggregated. The Timeline display allows you to examine individual events recorded by the Collector.

This topic contains the following sections.

How is the data displayed?
How do I navigate the display?
How do I control what is displayed?

How is the data displayed?

Data is displayed in horizontal bars. The display for each experiment consists of a number of bars. By default, the top bar shows sample information, and is followed by a set of bars for each LWP, one bar for each data type (clock-based profiling, hardware counter overflow profiling, synchronization tracing, heap tracing, MPI tracing), showing the events recorded. The bar label for each data type contains an icon that identifies the data type and a number in the format n.m that identifies the experiment (n) and the LWP (m). LWPs that are created in multithreaded programs to execute system threads are not displayed in the timeline, but their numbering is included in the LWP index m. You can choose to display data for threads or for CPUs rather than for LWPs, using the Timeline tab of the Set Data Presentation dialog box. The index m is then the index of the thread or the CPU.

The sample bar shows a color-coded representation of the process times, which are aggregated in the same way as the timing metrics. Each sample is represented by a rectangle, colored according to the proportion of time spent in each microstate. Clicking a sample displays the data for that sample in the Event tab.

The event markers in the event bars consist of a color-coded representation of part of the call stack with the leaf function at the top and the root function at the bottom. The call stacks can be aligned on the leaf function or the root function. Clicking a colored rectangle in an event marker selects the corresponding function and PC from the call stack and displays the data for that event and that function in the Event tab. The selected function is highlighted in both the Event tab and the Legend tab. Clicking one of the other tabs positions the display to show the object from which the PC comes.

If the experiment includes multiple events that overlap, the overlaps are indicated by tick marks on the event bar. Zooming the display spreads out the events so all of them can be seen.

How do I navigate the display?

How do I control what is displayed?

To change the data types, the display types, and the number of levels of the call stack that are displayed, choose View and choose Set Data Presentation and click the Timeline tab in the dialog box.

To change the colors used in the event markers, do one of the following:

To select a subset of LWPs and experiments, click the Filter Data button filter data button icon or choose View and choose Filter Data.

See also
Filtering the Data
The Event Tab
The Legend Tab
Interpreting the Timeline Display
Finding a Period of Inefficient CPU Usage
Finding Problem Time Periods in Your Program

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