Work

SPACE-Timers — A stack-based hierarchical timing system for C++

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: SPACE-Timers are a lightweight hierarchical profiling framework for C++ designed for modern high-performance computing (HPC) applications. It uses a stack-based timing model to capture deeply nested execution patterns with minimal overhead, representing runtime behaviour as a tree of timing nodes with precise attribution. The framework provides structured reports with recursive aggregation, detection of unaccounted time, and compact visual summaries of runtime distribution, supporting both quick inspection and detailed analysis. It also includes checkpointing and error detection mechanisms. SPACE-Timers supports multiple profiling backends, including NVTX, ITT, ROCtx, and Omnitrace, and integrates with the MERIC runtime system to enable energy-aware optimisation. Its successful use in OpenGadget3 demonstrates its effectiveness for large-scale scientific applications.

Source: Astronomy and Computing

DOI: 10.1016/j.ascom.2026.101122

Authors: Geray S. Karademir, Klaus Dolag

Institutions: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics

Language: English

Topic: Parallel Computing and Optimization Techniques

Subfield: Hardware and Architecture

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,260

Funder: European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking