Release 2.0 Information

Summary

Paradyn is a tool for measuring and analyzing the performance of parallel and distributed programs. Paradyn can measure large, long running programs and provides facilities for helping to automatically find performance problems in parallel programs. Paradyn operates on executable (a.out or .exe) files by dynamically inserting measurement code while the program is running. Paradyn can measure programs running on SunOS, Solaris (SPARC and x86), AIX, and SP2, or heterogeneous combinations of these systems. Paradyn can also handle PVM on these platforms and MPL, MPI, and PVM under POE on the SP2.

New features for Release 2.0 include support for MPI under POE on the SP2, shared objects (dynamic linking) on Solaris and Windows/NT (entirely removing the need to relink programs on NT), and many efficiency improvements.

Release 2.0 is a binary (executable) and a source release of the Paradyn Parallel Performance Tools. It is available via ftp from:

ftp://grilled.cs.wisc.edu/paradyn/

If you want to be notified of future releases of Paradyn, please send mail to paradyn@cs.wisc.edu and let us know.

Here are the answers to some common questions:

How do I Get a Copy of Paradyn?

Paradyn's Installation Guide (a compressed postscript file) is the first item you will want to obtain. To get it, you can go to the ftp site listed above and grab doc/install.ps.gz. The installation guide will tell you everything you need to know to obtain the Paradyn distribution. Note that most files are compressed using GNU zip (.gz suffix). If you do not have access to gunzip, then we can provide you with files compressed using compress (.Z suffix); just send us an email.

What Does The Release Cost?

For research uses, there is no charge. We define "research use" to mean you may freely use it inside your organization for whatever purposes you see fit. Our source code release is also freely available for research uses.

You may not re-distribute Paradyn in any form (including derivatives), electronic or otherwise, to any other organization or entity without our permission.

Full details of allowable uses of Paradyn are described in the LICENSE file contained in the "paradyn" and "paradyn/src" directories.

What is a commercial use?

We define "commericial use" of Paradyn to be one in which you re-distribute Paradyn in binary or source code form. Such an arrangement requires a signed license agreeement. Please contact us for the details.

What Do I Do If It Doesn't Work?

If you have any problems with installing or running Paradyn, feel free to contact us at paradyn@cs.wisc.edu. We will try to respond promptly.

We also appreciate feedback from you on ease of installation and use.

What if I find a bug in Paradyn?

Your report of bugs will help to improve future releases. Please report bugs to paradyn@cs.wisc.edu. We will work on fixes or try to provide you with a "work around". You will typically get a response in no more than 1-2 working days (and working days for us often includes weekends!).

What is the dyninstAPI and where could I get it?

The dyninst library provides a machine independent interface to permit program instrumentation at runtime. Using this interface, instrumentation code can be inserted and removed from running processes. The current release supports the following features: runs on multiple architectures (SPARC SunOs and Solaris, x86 Solaris and NT, POWER AIX/SP-2, DEC Alpha support will be available soon); weaves new code (statements and subroutine calls) into running programs; permits removing/changing calls to any subroutine; processor and OS independent specification of instrumentation code; can instrument a running process without any special linking or compiling steps (NT and Solaris only).

Information about the implementation of the API is available from:

http://www.cs.umd.edu/~hollings/dyninstAPI

The source code for the distribution is available from:

http://www.cs.umd.edu/~hollings/dyninstAPI/srcDist1.0.tar.gz

This is the same technology used in the Paradyn tools, but provides a simple C++ interface. The API can be used to build debuggers, performance measurement tools, simulators, or computational steering systems.

Our Lawyers Tell Us to Say This (Pay Attention!)

We provide the Paradyn Parallel Performance Tools (below described as Paradyn") on an as is basis, and do not warrant its validity or performance. We reserve the right to update, modify, or discontinue this software at any time. We shall have no obligation to supply such updates or modifications or any other form of support to you. All warranties, including without limitation, any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, are hereby excluded.

By your use of Paradyn, you understand and agree that we (or any other person or entity with proprietary rights in Paradyn) are under no obligation to provide either maintenance services, update services, notices of latent defects, or correction of defects for Paradyn.

Even if advised of the possibility of such damages, under no circumstances shall we (or any other person or entity with proprietary rights in the software licensed hereunder) be liable to you or any third party for direct, indirect, or consequential damages of any character regardless of type of action, including, without limitation, loss of profits, loss of use, loss of good will, or computer failure or malfunction. You agree to indemnify us (and any other person or entity with proprietary rights in the software licensed hereunder) for any and all liability it may incur to third parties resulting from your use of Paradyn.

Last modified: Wed Oct 1 10:59:04 CDT 1997