Context tracing for software logging

• US 10,042,734 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Tran, Le-Huan Stefan, Harren, Arne, Bregler, Jonathan, Bunte, Alexander, Kellner, Andreas, Kuntze, Daniel, Leonkev, Vladislav, Lueders, Simon, Sauermann, Volker, Schnaubelt, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehne, Charles
• Application Number:
  US15/221,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software

Abstract

Context tracing may be implemented by modifying a call to parameterize, and thereby govern, logging operations of a called software application or program. Resulting messages of the logging operations are stored in a manner that facilitates fast identification and retrieval of the messages. Accordingly, accurate identification of errors or sub-optimal operations of the called software application or program is enabled, thereby enabling correction and/or optimization of operations of the called program.

Claims

1. A computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause at least one computing device to:

determine a trace configuration defining a first trace message and a second trace message to be written by a called program during execution of the called program;

determine a trace context parameter value identifying a storage location for the first trace message and the second trace message when written by the called program;

include the trace context parameter value within at least one call to the called program requesting the execution of the called program; and

write, during the execution of the called program and in accordance with the trace configuration and the trace context parameter value, the first trace message and the second trace message to the identified storage location.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the trace configuration includes a requirement for the first trace message to include a timestamp of generation of the first trace message and a code location within the called program executing at a time of generation of the first trace message.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the trace context parameter value identifies a trace file for the first trace message and the second trace message within a trace file repository as the identified storage location.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first trace message and the second trace message are generated in response to executing the at least one call during the execution of the called program.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the trace context parameter value specifies that call-specific trace messages, including the first trace message and the second trace message, generated by executing the at least one call during the execution of the called program are written to a call-specific trace file as the identified storage location.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one computing device, are further configured to:

generate a call identifier (ID) to be used in identifying and accessing the call-specific trace file to obtain the call-specific trace messages.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the trace context parameter value specifies that trace messages, including the first trace message and the second trace message, generated by executing a plurality of calls, including the at least one call, having a common characteristic during the execution of the called program are written to a trace file identified with respect to the common characteristic as the identified storage location.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one computing device, are further configured to:

receive a trace file access request for the trace file, specified with respect to the common characteristic; and

provide the trace file in response thereto.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a second trace context parameter value specifies a trace topic of the first trace message and the second trace message, and wherein the second trace context parameter value specifies the identified storage location for storing the first trace message and the second trace message as being related to the trace topic.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the called program is associated with a conversion of database artifacts specifying database objects into executable database objects for deployment within a database system, and wherein the first trace message and the second trace message provide logging information characterizing the conversion and/or the deployment.

11. A method of executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium using at least one processor, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of call characteristics as available values for a trace context parameter associated with generation of trace messages logging execution aspects of a plurality of calls when executed by a called program;

receiving a trace context parameter value for the trace context parameter that identifies a call characteristic of the plurality of call characteristics to be used;

including the trace context parameter value within a first call and a second call of the plurality of calls to the called program;

receiving a generated first trace message in response to execution of the first call by the called program, and a second trace message generated in response to execution of the second call; and

storing the generated first trace message and second trace message within a trace file defined with respect to the identified call characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the call characteristic includes a unique identity of the first call, and the trace file includes a plurality of trace messages associated with execution of the first call by the called program.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein a second trace context parameter value specifies a trace topic of the generated first trace message and second trace message, and wherein the second trace context parameter value specifies the trace file for storing the generated first trace message and second trace message as being related to the trace topic.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the called program is associated with a conversion of database artifacts specifying database objects into executable database objects for deployment within a database system, and wherein the generated first trace message and second trace message provide logging information characterizing the conversion and/or the deployment.

15. A system comprising:

a parameter handler configured to receive a trace context parameter value specifying a trace file to be used in storing a first trace message and a second trace message logging an execution aspect of a called program;

a context tracing engine configured to include the trace context parameter value within at least one call to the called program; and

a trace files repository configured to store the trace file including the first trace message and the second trace message, after the at least one call is passed to the called program and the first trace message are generated in conjunction with an execution of the at least one call by the called program.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a plurality of call characteristics define available trace context parameter values, including the trace context parameter value, and further wherein the received trace context parameter value identifies a call characteristic of the at least one call for use specifying the trace file.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the call characteristic includes a unique identity of the at least one call.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the context tracing engine is further configured to:

receive a trace file access request for the trace file, specified with respect to the call characteristic; and

provide the trace file in response thereto.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a trace configuration for the first trace message and the second trace message includes a requirement for the first trace message and the second trace message to include a timestamp of generation of each of the first trace message and the second trace message, and at least one code location within the called program executing at a time of generation of each of the first trace message and the second trace message.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the called program is associated with a conversion of database artifacts specifying database objects into executable database objects for deployment within a database system, and wherein the first trace message and the second trace message provide logging information characterizing the conversion and/or the deployment.