In computer science, performance prediction means to estimate the execution time or other performance factors (such as cache misses) of a program on a given computer. It is being widely used for computer architects to evaluate new computer designs, for compiler writers to explore new optimizations, and also for advanced developers to tune their programs. There are many approaches to predict program 's performance on computers. They can be roughly divided into three major categories: * simulation-based prediction * profile-based prediction * analytical modeling