Abstract: A symmetric multi-processor SMP system includes an SMP processor and operating system OS software that performs automatic SMP lock tracing analysis on an executing application program. System administrators, users or other entities initiate an automatic SMP lock tracing analysis. A particular thread of the executing application program requests and obtains a lock for a memory address pointer. A subsequent thread requests the same memory address pointer lock prior to the particular thread release of that lock. The subsequent thread begins to spin waiting for the release of that address pointer lock. When the subsequent thread reaches a predetermined maximum amount of wait time, MAXSPIN, a lock testing tool in the kernel of the OS detects the MAXSPIN condition. The OS performs a test to determine if the subsequent thread and address pointer lock meet the list of criteria set during initiation of the automatic lock trace method.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system are provided for prefetching data into a cache memory. As a program is executed an object identifier is obtained of a first object of the program. A lookup operation is performed on a data structure to determine if the object identifier is present in the data structure. Responsive to the object identifier being present in the data structure, a referenced object identifier is retrieved that is referenced by the object identifier. Then, the data associated with the referenced object identifier is prefetched from main memory into the cache memory.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system are provided for prefetching data into a cache memory. As a program is executed an object identifier is obtained of a first object of the program. A lookup operation is performed on a data structure to determine if the object identifier is present in the data structure. Responsive to the object identifier being present in the data structure, a referenced object identifier is retrieved that is referenced by the object identifier. Then, the data associated with the referenced object identifier is prefetched from main memory into the cache memory.