Uniquely identifying a crashed application and its environment

• US 20030208593A1
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Carroll, Mark, Bharati, Sudeep, Derbecker, Mark, Lupu, Corneliu
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for collecting information to uniquely identify an application on a client computer upon the occurrence of a reporting event, such as a crash. The method is implemented by providing a client computer having access to a network. In order to uniquely identify the application, the method generates an inventory of selected files stored in at least one directory, normally including the directory containing the application executable file. The method further generates an inventory of system properties for the client computer. The inventories are transmitted via the network to a server computer. Upon receipt by the server computer, the inventory information is compared with corresponding information in a database to determine whether the application can be uniquely identified. If the application can be identified, the user can be notified of a solution or other information in response to the reporting event. If no appropriate response can be found, the inventory data can be retained in the database for future reference.

Claims

1. In a client-server computing environment, a method for collecting data to identify an application whose executable file is stored in a directory on a client computer, the data being for transmission to a server computer via a network after the occurrence of a reporting event, comprising:

generating an inventory of selected files stored in at least one directory on the client computer;

generating an inventory of system properties for the client computer; and

directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected files include executable files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected files include dynamic link library files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one directory on the client computer includes the directory containing the application executable file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one directory on the client computer includes a subdirectory of the directory containing the application executable file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory of selected files includes file properties for at least one file in the inventory of files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory of selected files includes a checksum for at least one file in the inventory of files.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties further includes preparing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties for transmission in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting event is an error occurring on the client computer while the application is executing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting event is a request by a user of the client computer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the client computer successfully transmitted the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer and, if not, storing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties on a storage device accessible by the client computer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether a previous inventory of selected files and a previous inventory of system properties created following a previous reporting event exists on the storage device and, if so, directing the client computer to transmit the previous inventory of selected files and the previous inventory of system properties to the server computer via the network.

13. A computer system having a processor, a memory, and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute the method recited in claim 1.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

15. In a client-server computing environment, a method for collecting data to identify an application whose executable file is stored in a directory on a client computer, the data being for transmission to a server computer after the occurrence of a reporting event, comprising:

generating an inventory of selected files stored in the directory containing the application executable file;

generating an inventory of system properties for the client computer; and

preparing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties for transmission to the server computer after the occurrence of the reporting event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected files include executable files.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected files include dynamic link library files.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating an inventory includes generating an inventory of selected files for a subdirectory of the directory containing the application executable file.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the inventory of selected files includes file properties for at least one file in the inventory of files.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the inventory of selected files includes a checksum for at least one file in the inventory of files.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of preparing the inventory of selected files further includes preparing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties for transmission in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the reporting event is an error occurring on the client computer while the application is executing.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the reporting event is a request by a user of the client computer.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer via the Internet.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining whether the client computer has an available connection to the Internet and, if so, directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer via the Internet.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising storing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties on a storage device accessible by the client computer if the client computer has no available connection to the Internet.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining whether a previous inventory of selected files and a previous inventory of system properties created following a previous reporting event exists on the storage device and, if so, directing the client computer to transmit the previous inventory of selected files and the previous inventory of system properties to the server computer via the network.

28. A computer system having a processor, a memory, and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute the method recited in claim 15.

29. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 15.

30. In a client-server computing environment, a method for collecting data to identify an application whose executable file is stored in a directory on a client computer, the data being for transmission to a server computer after the occurrence of a reporting event, comprising:

generating an inventory of selected files stored in the directory containing the application executable file, wherein the selected files include executable files stored in the directory and wherein the inventory of selected files includes for each file included therein at least a file name, a file size and a checksum;

generating an inventory of system properties for the client computer; and

preparing the inventory of files and the inventory of system properties for transmission to the server computer in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format after the occurrence of the reporting event.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the directory containing the application executable file includes a subdirectory thereof.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the reporting event is an error occurring on the client computer while the application is executing.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the reporting event is a request by a user of the client computer.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer via a network.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising determining whether the client computer has an available connection to the Internet and, if so, directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer via the Internet.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising storing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties on a storage device accessible by the client computer if the client computer has no available connection to the Internet.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining whether a previous inventory of selected files and a previous inventory of system properties created following a previous reporting event exists on the storage device and, if so, directing the client computer to transmit the previous inventory of selected files and the previous inventory of system properties to the server computer via the Internet.

38. A computer system having a processor, a memory, and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute the method recited in claim 30.

39. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 30.

40. In a networked client-server computing environment having a server computer and a database containing application identification information, a method for identifying an application on a client computer after the occurrence of a reporting event, comprising:

receiving on the server computer an inventory of selected files stored in at least one directory on the client computer;

receiving on the server computer an inventory of system properties for the client computer; and

comparing data from the inventory of selected files and data from the inventory of system properties with corresponding data in the database to identify the application.

41. The method of claim 40, further including determining, upon identification of the application, whether a response to the reporting event exists for the application.

42. The method of claim 41, further including transmitting the response to the client computer if a response to the reporting event exists for the application.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the inventory of files includes the file properties for each file included therein.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the file properties include at least a file name, a file size and a checksum.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the step of comparing data from the inventory of files includes comparing the file name, file size and checksum contained in the inventory of files with corresponding data in the database to identify the application.

46. In a networked client-server computing environment having a server computer and a database containing application identification information, a method for identifying an application on a client computer after the occurrence of a reporting event, comprising:

receiving on the server computer an inventory of files stored in a directory on the client computer containing the application executable file wherein the inventory of files includes file properties for each file included therein and wherein the file properties include at least a file name, a file size and a checksum;

receiving on the server computer an inventory of system properties for the client computer;

comparing data from the inventory of files, including the file name, the file size and the checksum, and data from the inventory of system properties with corresponding data in the database to identify the application; and

determining, upon identification of the application, whether a response to the reporting event exists for the application and, if so, transmitting the response to the client computer.

47. In a networked client-server computing environment having a server and a plurality of databases each containing application identification information, a method for identifying an application on a client computer after the occurrence of a reporting event, comprising:

receiving on the server computer an inventory of files stored in a directory on the client computer containing the application executable file;

receiving on the server computer an inventory of system properties for the client computer; and

executing a search service that compares data from the inventory of files and data from the inventory of system properties with corresponding data in at least one of the plurality of databases to identify the application.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising determining, upon identification of the application, whether a response to the reporting event exists for the application.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising transmitting the response to the client computer if a response to the reporting event exists for the application.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising recording the occurrence of the reporting event in one of the plurality of databases.