We present a system for visualizing memory reference traces, the records of the memory transactions performed by a program at runtime. The visualization consists of a structured layout representing the levels of a cache and a set of data glyphs representing the pieces of data in memory being operated on during application runtime. The data glyphs move in response to events generated by a cache simulator, indicating their changing residency in the various levels of the memory hierarchy. Within the levels, the glyphs arrange themselves into higher-order shapes representing the structure of the cache levels, including the composition of their associative cache sets and eviction ordering. We make careful use of different visual channels, including structure, motion, color, and size, to convey salient events as they occur. Our abstract visualization provides a high-level, global view of memory behavior, while giving insight about important events that may help students or software engineers to better understand their software's performance and behavior.

A.N.M Imroz Choudhury and Paul Rosen. Abstract visualization of runtime memory behavior. In 6th IEEE International Workshop on Visualizing Software for Understanding and Analysis, VisSoft, pages 22-29, 2011.

@inproceedings{Choudhury.2011.VisSoft,
  author = {{\relax A.N.M} Imroz Choudhury and Paul Rosen},
  title = {Abstract Visualization of Runtime Memory Behavior},
  booktitle = {6th IEEE International Workshop on Visualizing Software for Understanding
	and Analysis},
  year = {2011},
  series = {VisSoft},
  pages = {22-29},
  abstract = {We present a system for visualizing memory reference traces, the records
	of the memory transactions performed by a program at runtime. The
	visualization consists of a structured layout representing the levels
	of a cache and a set of data glyphs representing the pieces of data
	in memory being operated on during application runtime. The data
	glyphs move in response to events generated by a cache simulator,
	indicating their changing residency in the various levels of the
	memory hierarchy. Within the levels, the glyphs arrange themselves
	into higher-order shapes representing the structure of the cache
	levels, including the composition of their associative cache sets
	and eviction ordering. We make careful use of different visual channels,
	including structure, motion, color, and size, to convey salient events
	as they occur. Our abstract visualization provides a high-level,
	global view of memory behavior, while giving insight about important
	events that may help students or software engineers to better understand
	their software's performance and behavior.}
}

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