Performance analysis evaluates software program efficiency, identifies and corrects issues, and helps optimize resource usage. It is a dynamic program analysis that dates back to the early years of computing and can be done manually or automatically using an automated profiler. Recurring scans are necessary due to updates and hardware changes.
Sometimes referred to as profiling, software engineering performance analysis is simply the process of evaluating how well a particular software program works. This process normally begins with how the program loads and what happens when each step in using the program is performed. The goal of performance analysis is to ensure that the software program is operating at maximum efficiency and to identify and correct any problems that could adversely affect that efficiency.
Performance analysis also helps the engineer tune components to help the program make the best use of available resources. By evaluating executions in real time, you can determine if something can be done to speed up a task or change the amount of memory required to perform the task without adversely affecting the overall function of the software. The ultimate goal is a program that runs smoothly, quickly, and works every time a business is started.
Performance analysis is a type of dynamic program analysis, or DPA. DPA focuses on what happens when a program is actively running, including how resources are used and in what order. This is different from static code analysis, which tends to focus more on how the code is written and how logical the commands follow. However, both types of analysis are common elements of evaluating and refining software and software features.
The history of program analysis dates back to the early years of computing. During the development of the first “electronic brains” of the 1940s, various methods were put in place to test the efficiency of each function that a given system was capable of performing. As technology has continued to advance, the methodology for evaluating the level of performance of software running on various systems has been refined and somewhat standardized. Today, system architects and software program authors use program analysis to identify the inherent strengths and weaknesses of a given version of a program and create fixes for any problems. The data collected by the performance analysis helps prevent those same problems from appearing in later versions of the program.
The actual performance analysis process can still be done by manual review during the active operation of a program or be completed automatically by compiling the data using an automated profiler. In both cases, information is captured that allows both a software writer and a system architect to determine what needs to be done for the program to run at maximum efficiency on a given system or network. Performance analysis is not an activity that is done once and then considered finished. It’s not uncommon for system administrators to run a performance scan on a recurring basis, because updates to other programs and hardware changes could affect the efficiency of the program being scanned.
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