Before you begin

As mentioned earlier, to capture instrumentation data for analysis, the instrumented kernel (procnto*-instr) must be running. This kernel is a drop-in replacement for the standard kernel (though the instrumented kernel is slightly larger). When you're not gathering instrumentation data, the instrumented kernel is almost exactly as fast as the regular kernel.

To substitute the procnto*-instr module in the OS image on your board, you can either manually edit your buildfile, then run mkifs to generate a new image, or use the System Builder perspective to configure the image's properties.

Replacing the kernel using the System Builder

1. In the System Builder Projects view, double-click the build file for the image you want to change.
2. In the System Builder editor, seach for procnto.
3. Replace the text procnto with procnto-instr, then save your change.
4. Rebuild your project, then transfer your new OS image to your board.

Assuming you're running the instrumented kernel on your board, you're ready to use the System Profiler. A profiling session usually involves the following steps:

• Configure a target for system profiling — configure a target for system profiling
• Capture instrumentation data in an event log file — capture data in log files
• View and interpret the captured data — review the captured data and understand where improvements should be made