A performance analysis framework for a system lifespan

Assessing the performance of complex systems is important but difficult for all users in every phase of a system lifespan. Current performance analysis tools have proven successful but have not been widely used outside the laboratory. Laboratory-oriented analyses, queries and views, and rigid, insufficiently documented tool architectures create this situation. This paper presents a framework for addressing these limitations, including multiple abstraction level analysis and an open software architecture to address these limitations. An examination of this framework illustrates its capabilities for varied analysis environments and users.