Interprocedural Analysis (IPA) can analyze and optimize your application as a whole, rather than on a file-by-file basis. Run during the link step of an application build, the entire application, including linked libraries, is available for interprocedural analysis. This whole program analysis opens your application to a powerful set of transformations available only when more than one file or compilation unit is accessible. IPA optimizations are also effective on mixed language applications.
The following are some of the link-time transformations that IPA can use to restructure and optimize your application:
In order to maximize IPA link-time optimization, you must use IPA at both the compile and link step. Objects you do not compile with IPA can only provide minimal information to the optimizer, and receive minimal benefit. However when IPA is active on the compile step, the resulting object file contains program information that IPA can read during the link step. The program information is invisible to the system linker, and you can still use the object file and link without invoking IPA. The IPA optimizations use hidden information to reconstruct the original compilation and can completely analyze the subprograms the object contains in the context of their actual usage in your application.
During the link step, IPA restructures your application, partitioning it into distinct logical code units. After IPA optimizations are complete, IPA applies the same low-level compilation-unit transformations as the -O2 and -O3 base optimizations levels. Following those transformations, the compiler creates one or more object files and linking occurs with the necessary libraries through the system linker.
It is important that you specify a set of compilation options as consistent as possible when compiling and linking your application. This includes all compiler options, not just -qipa suboptions. When possible, specify identical options on all compilations and repeat the same options on the IPA link step. Incompatible or conflicting options that you specify to create object files, or link-time options in conflict with compile-time options can reduce the effectiveness of IPA optimizations.
IPA can still perform transformations if you do not specify IPA on the link step. Using IPA on the compile step initiates optimizations that can improve performance for an individual object file even if you do not link the object file using IPA. The primary focus of IPA is link-step optimization, but using IPA only on the compile-step can still be beneficial to your application without incurring the costs of link-time IPA.
You can control many IPA optimization functions using the -qipa option and suboptions. The most important part of the IPA optimization process is the level at which IPA optimization occurs. Default compilation does not invoke IPA. If you specify -qipa without a level, or specify -O4, IPA optimizations are at level one. If you specify -O5, IPA optimizations are at level two.
IPA Level | Behaviors |
qipa=level=0 |
|
qipa=level=1 |
|
qipa=level=2 |
|
IPA includes many suboptions that can help you guide IPA to perform optimizations important to the particular characteristics of your application. Among the most relevant to providing information on your application are:
The XL compiler family shares optimization technology. Object files you create using IPA on the compile step with the XL C, C++, and Fortran compilers can undergo IPA analysis during the link step. Where program analysis shows that objects were built with compatible options, such as -qnostrict, IPA can perform transformations such as inlining C functions into Fortran code, or propagating C++ constant data into C function calls.