Profiling the X Protocol

John Danskin and Pat Hanrahan.

Abstract

This paper describes a system for tracing the X Window System Protocol. We have analyzed these traces by breaking the protocol down into discrete instructions or messages, and analyzing the frequency and network resource requirements of these messages. This analysis has resulted in preliminary results in 4 areas: the relative importance of X messages, how X usage changes during different application stages differing application idioms for accomplishing similar tasks, and the size distributions of X messages and groups of X messages. Some of these results have architectural implications for network protocols and implementations.

Additional information available:


Back up to papers index