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Installation, Setup & Use for VTune 2.5 and Earlier Versions

Installation & Use

Installation, Setup and Use

Can a Windows NT* user do profiling using VTune installed by someone else?
Yes, but only after they update the registry. The user should do the following before using VTune for the first time: Go to Start -> Programs -> VTune -> Update User's VTune Registry

What installation issues does VTune have with Windows NT?
There are several issues to be aware of. These are documented in the Release Notes. Here are the major issues installing VTune with Microsoft Windows NT:

    1. You must have administrator privileges when you install VTune on Windows NT.

    2. If you have disabled support of long file names when you installed Windows NT, VTune will not be able to install as it uses file names longer than 8.3.

    3. If the User ID of the person using VTune is different from the User ID of the person who installed VTune, then the person using VTune must double-click on "Update User s VTune Registry" icon in the VTune group when they login for the first time.

    4. In a DOS-prompt window, type: regedit \vtune.reg For example, if VTune was installed in c:\VTune, type: regedit c:\VTune\vtune.reg (this will update the registry)

    5. Windows NT* 4.0 Beta releases are NOT supported and VTune does not support Checked Build on Windows NT.

Why do I get the following error when installing VTune on Windows NT :
"Could not create key for driver, severe"?
Because you don’t have administrator rights. When installing the product, you must have administrator privilege.

I can't profile my application on Windows NT. When I try, I get a message about Profiling System Performance rights.
To do sampling on Windows NT*, you must either have administrator rights or have the "Profile system performance" right assigned to your user account by the administrator. Otherwise, VTune will not be able to collect samples. To assign this right, the administrator must do the following:

  1. Open the Programs\Administrative Tools (Common)\User Manager.
  2. Single click the user who needs the right assigned.
  3. Select the Policy\User Rights menu item. On this window, check the "Show Advanced User Rights" box at the bottom of the window.
  4. Click on the Right box and scroll to the "Profile system performance" right.
  5. Select the Add button and specify the user.
  6. Click Add, OK, OK, etc.

I can't profile my application on Windows NT. Project settings seem to be oddly changed.
Try refreshing the registry. In a DOS-prompt window, type: regedit \vtune.reg For example, if VTune was installed in c:\VTune, to refresh the registry, type: regedit c:\VTune\vtune.reg

Support Languages: General

What compiler and link switches are necessary to profile a program using VTune?
If you are not using one of the following: Microsoft Visual* C/C++ Compiler , Supercede*/Java* , Watcom* 11.0 , Borland compilers (5.x and Delphi* 2.x and above), then you need to have NB09 or codeview symbols. If you use Microsoft compilers, then VTune supports all Microsoft format such as DBG format, W3/W4 format, NB09, NB0A, NB11 and others. Please check VTune on-line help for debug options. Please make sure that you have the latest version of VTune and are producing symbol information in one of the Formats compatible with VTune.

Support Languages - Microsoft Visual C++

I am building an application with Microsoft Visual* C++ 5.0 on Windows* 95. Then I sample it with VTune. The VTune Monitor Session ends and I see the Module and HotSpot Report as expected. However, when I click on a Hotspot, VTune cannot find the source file. I get the error message: There is no source code at this offset. Do you want to proceed with disassembly only?
There are a several possible causes for this: 1. Do you have MSDEVDIR variable set? The MSDEVDIR should be set to wherever the Microsoft Visual* C++ is installed. This is not done automatically on Windows* 95. To determine if it is set: Go to a DOS window and type: set If MSDEVDIR variable is not set, add the following line to \autoexec.bat: set MSDevDir=C:\Program Files\DevStudio\SharedIDE . This corresponds to the default MSVC 5.0 installation location. Modify the path as appropriate for your system. This value will be specified in the file: C:\Program Files\DevStudio\vc\bin\vcvars32.bat

2. The directory \windows\system must be in your path. To determine whether it is: Go to a DOS window and type: path If it is not on your path, please add it to the autoexec.bat file. Here is an example of a path with \windows\system included: PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM

3. Make sure you compile and build your C++ project with the following debug options: Select Project\Settings\C/C++ Category: General and set Debug Info to `Program Database'. Select Project\Settings\Link Category: Debug. Select `Debug Info', default is `Microsoft format' but unset `Separate Types'. In Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0, VTune doesn't support "separate types". When you have separate types, you get multiple PDB files for each executable; for example, you get one pdb file for each file in your project. When you turn this option off, you get a single pdb file for the project.

Support Languages: Assembly Language

What are the correct MASM settings to use for VTune?
When assembling the MASM* 6.11 code, the following command line should be used:

c:> ml /c /Cx /coff /Zi /Zd

Does VTune produce assembly code with MASM* syntax ?
In the disassembly provided by Static and Dynamic Analysis, the syntax of the output is mostly MASM* syntax, not Borland* , Watcom* or UNIX*. However the disassembly produced does not exactly reproduce the source code, for example, there are symbolic references to structure elements that are displayed as hard-coded registers.

Sampling: Time-Based and Event-Based

Can VTune be used to monitor and analyze code in VxDs (Virtual Device Driver) and DLLs (Dynamic Link Library), or OCX*, COM*, and ActiveX* controls?
Yes, VTune supports analysis of VxDs and DLLs. However, you must specify the application that invokes or uses your VxD, DLL or controls in the Options/Automation window, not the name of the VxD, DLL or control itself. Since VTune samples the entire system , VTune will analyze its performance if at least one sample was taken in the module. The results are shown in the Modules and Hotspot Reports.

Why are the samples attributed to individual assembly instructions off by at least one instruction?
This is a consequence of the way interrupts are acknowledged by Intel® Architecture processors. For detailed information, please see the VTune On-Line Help section entitled: Interpreting Time and Events in the Assembly View.

Does VTune support TLB Misdata/Level 2 Cache miss statistics?
These types of statistics are available through Dynamic Analysis and Event Based sampling.

Can VTune be used to find out the amount of time it takes for a bus access, say accesses to the PCI* bus?
VTune does not directly monitor the bus activity, but a combination of processor events can be used to indirectly monitor bus bandwidth.

Modules Report

On the Modules Report screen, what do the categories "Other 16", "Other32" and "OtherV86" mean?
VTune monitors all applications running at a certain time. The extent to which the applications follow proper Windows* registration protocols is the extent to which VTune can identify the module name of the application actually running. For example, 32-Bit DOS Extenders do not register anything and all of their activity is lumped in a category 'Other32'. Another example of unregistered code is the BIOS which was never loaded by Windows* because it is just there at boot time.

Hotspot Report

VTune says that it cannot find symbol info even though I supply the correct compiler/linker options. It cannot display source code after double-clicking on a hotspot ?
Please make sure that you have the latest version of VTune and are producing compatible debug symbols. You can search VTune online help for the topic 'Generating Codeview Debug Symbols'.

Code Coaches

Does the C Coach support C++ code?
Yes, VTune works with C++ code to a point. C Coach understands that the code is C++, but it does not know how to give a C++ specific advice. Additionally, on rare occasions the C Coach may give parsing errors if it does not understand the C++ construct selected.

Static and Dynamic Analysis

Is it possible to use Dynamic Analysis on source code?
Source code cannot be used. Dynamic analysis requires an executable binary file since it analysis is done by executing, tracing and simulating each instruction at the a time. VTune executes the program at full speed to the start of the Dynamic Analysis region and then executes the program in single-step mode and feeds the instruction into the simulator.

Is there a way you can display the minimum, average, and maximum clock counts for an instruction simultaneously in the dynamic analysis view?
There is no way to have all 3 counts displayed on the DA screen. You can, however, double-click on the instruction and display the Advanced Instruction Analyzer which displays all three counts for the instruction..

Does VTune support TLB Misdata/Level 2 Cache miss statistics?
These types of statistics are available through Dynamic Analysis and Event Based sampling.

Are the ROR and ROL pairable on the Pentium or Pentium with MMX Technology processors? VTune tells me that they are not.
All shift and rotate operations SAL,SAR,SHL,SHR,RCL,RCR,ROR,ROL with an implicit shift count of 1 (ie not explicitly encoded as an immediate 1) can be paired and shift instructions SAL,SAR,SHL,SHR with an explicit immediate operand can be paired. Any shift or rotate that has the shift count in CL cannot be paired. Any rotate operation with an immediate shift count cannot be paired. The Intel Architecture Optimization guide, page A-6, says ror with an immediate value is pairable if issued in the U pipe. This is incorrect. Ror with imm is not pairable.

When doing Static or Dynamic Analysis, VTune halts and displays 'Error in disassembly, lips_get_line failed'. What causes this?
This is caused when a MS VC++ project includes MASM* 6.11 assembly object modules that have not been assembled with the correct command line options. When assembling the MASM* 6.11 code, the following command line should be used:

c:> ml /c /Cx /coff /Zi /Zd

Call Graph/Call Tree

Does VTune provide a call tree analysis? Is it possible to find out who is the caller of a hotspot function?
Yes, but VTune 2.5 only has this for Jav This feature is planned for native binaries in a future release.

Java* Support

When launching Java application using a BAT file instead of running javexe, VTune works with MS VM but it doesn't work with Symantec* VM and JIT.
This is a known problem and will be fixed a future release.

VTune is reporting a huge number in the callgraph (over 900 bilion-milisecond) and even some negative numbers. The application is run for only 300 seconds.
This is a known problem and will be fixed a future release.

Does VTune 2.5 support Symantec* Visual Cafe* 2.1? I ran my Java* application in that environment but did not see the Java module in the VTune Module Report.
Symantec Visual Cafe* 2.1 is not compatible with VTune 2.5. VTune can no longer be used to tune a Java* application running in the Visual Cafe environment.

For a complete list of the development environments supported by VTune, see the Developer web site

Updates and Trial Versions

Where are VTune updates provided?
For updates to a major release (VTune 2.0 was a major release, VTune 2.5 was an update), visit the web site: http://developer.intel.com/design/perftool/vtune/updatbl3.htm

When I try to download a VTune update I get: open sesame error ftp error server (download.intel.com)?
If you try to download VTune and your site is equipped with a firewall, this error might occur. A work around is to download using a PC outside your firewall. This may also occur when downloading the Trial Version.

General

Does VTune search hierarchical directories for source files?
Source directories need to be specified at the top level: Once you specify the top level, VTune will search hierarchically down. If VTune cannot locate a source file, it prompts the user to specify it.

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