Writing parallel programs efficiently is still a problematic issue due to the lack of a uniform and integrated tool support. A new project at LRR-TUM works towards changing this situation for the most popular programming environment on workstation clusters: for PVM. The Tool-set for PVM will comprise a set of integrated tools, consisting of a debugger, a performance analyzer, a visualizer, a deterministic execution controller, a load balancer including a checkpoint generator, and a parallel file system. In contrast to previous work, these tools are compatible to each other by using a common monitoring system, thus avoiding special preparation of a parallel program for each single tool. In addition they can be used together to observe and control different aspects of a single program run.

In order to develop and maintain parallel and distributed software systems, tools that observe and manipulate the run-time behavior of these systems are indispensable. Often it would even be preferable use multiple tools at the same time in order to have enhanced functionality. Today, tools allowing such a simultaneous use only exist in the form of monolithic integrated environments produced by a single vendor. As soon as we want to combine independent tools we are faced with severe problems. The paper presents the features included in the OMIS compliant monitoring system OCM that help to solve these problems. We derive the necessary features by looking at an example scenario, where several tools are used together to provide an efficient debugging environment, allowing the user to reset the debugged program to any previously executed state. This scenario also shows that tool interoperability is not only a feature by itself, but also leads to an added value for the user. 1 Introductio...

To provide high-level graphical support for developing message passing programs, an integrated programming environment (GRADE) is being developed. GRADE currently provides tools to construct, execute, debug, monitor and visualise message-passing based parallel programs. GRADE offers the programmer an integrated graphical user interface during the whole life-cycle of program development and provides high-level graphical programming abstractions to construct parallel applications. The paper describes the integration of an OMIS compliant monitor system and GRADE in order to extend the programming environment with a more flexible monitoring support as well as to make possible the simultaneous usage of debugging and visualisation tools. OMIS is a recent specification of a universal on-line monitoring interface for parallel and distributed programs. Keywords: Message-Passing, Visual Programming, Parallel Programming Environments, Monitoring, Debugging, Performance Visualisation 1 Introducti...