Methods, systems and computer program products for CPU signaturing to aide in performance analysis

1. In a computer system having a CPU, a performance analysis method, consisting of:

identifying a workload having one or more testcases, the workload configured to generate a performance run by invoking applications that simulate certain interactions in the performance analysis;

assigning a CPU signature to each of the one or more testcases;

calling a CPU signature application programming interface that toggles the CPU to generate the CPU signature;

passing four parameters to the CPU signature application programming interface, the four parameters including a CPU signature value, a CPU signature duration, a CPU signature number and a CPU signature idle;

prior to running each of the one or more testcases of the workload, generating the CPU signature, the CPU signature showing the CPU running at the CPU signature value for the CPU signature duration a total of the CPU signature value with a CPU signature idle time period between each of the one or more testcases;

dynamically determining a run order of the one or more testcases at a run time of the workload; and

reviewing performance data during the running of each of the one or more testcases, each of the one or more testcases being identifiable by its respective CPU signature,

wherein the CPU signatures are generated from the group consisting of: CPU utilization, disk access, memory allocation and thread allocation.