IBM TuningFork Visualization Tool for Real-Time Systems

1. Do I need Eclipse do use TuningFork? Where do I get Eclipse?

The TuningFork download does not require any other software. It is based on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) and OpenGL, but these are bundled into the download.

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2. On which machine do I install TuningFork? On the machine to be traced, or on the machine I want to use to view and analyze the traces?

Install TuningFork on the machine where you want to view and analyze the traces.

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3. Do I need the IBM Real-Time JVM installed on the viewing machine as well as on the trace machine?

No. TuningFork is a Java application, so you need a JVM in order to run it; but it need not be the Real-time JVM.

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4. Which JVM should I use to run TuningFork?

Any standard 5.0 JVM will run TuningFork. We have specifically tested the IBM and Sun JVMs.

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5. How do I get the best performance from TuningFork?

If you are using IBM's JVM (J9 5.0), for best performance use the option -Xgcpolicy:optavgpause in the JVM. To do this in TuningFork, edit the file TuningFork.ini in the top level directory.

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6. The user manual describes how to open a trace, but how do I create one?

If you are using IBM's Real-Time JVM, use the option -XXgc:perfTraceLog=FILENAME in order to generate a trace file. Please see the readme.html file for information about how to make application-level trace files.

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