Database breakpoint apparatus and method

• US 20030221187A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barsness, Eric Lawrence, Dettinger, Richard Dean, Majd, Mahdad, Santosuosso, John Matthew, Brutman, Michael Brian, Olson, Brian Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

An apparatus and method define the concept of a “database breakpoint.” One or more conditions in the database are specified as a database breakpoint in a debug environment for debugging a computer program that accesses the database. When the database conditions exist, one or more debug functions may be performed with respect to the execution of the computer program. Examples of debug functions include halting execution of the computer program and halting operations to the database by other programs. With both the computer program and database halted, the user may then interrogate the database to determine its state, and may interrogate the program to determine its state. Database breakpoints greatly enhance the utility of a debugger by providing additional conditions for debugging a computer program that accesses a database.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a computer program residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the computer program accessing a database;

a database breakpoint residing in the memory, the database breakpoint specifying at least one database condition; and

a debugger mechanism that performs at least one debug function when the at least one database condition exists in the database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting execution of the computer program.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting operations by other programs to the database.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the debugger mechanism includes a first interface for communicating with the database, and wherein the database includes a second interface for communicating with the debugger mechanism via the first interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the database communicates data regarding conditions in the database to the debugger mechanism via the first and second interfaces.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query that causes at least one trigger program to be executed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes reoptimizing a previously run query.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query that locks more than a predetermined number of rows in the database.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query where a query optimizer determines that a temporary index is needed even though an index already exists.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes satisfying at least one programmable threshold in the database.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one programmable threshold includes at least one time limit for performing a specified operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one programmable threshold includes a specified number of open commitments for a unit of work in the database.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes detecting when a join order is not as expected.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes an error in conversion in the database.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes at least one timeout of at least one lock in the database.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes an insert execution that does not provide a value for a column or that provides null for a column.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes a column or combination of columns not used in an index.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of a query that involves a table scan.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of a query that will return no rows.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of an update or delete statement that would affect multiple rows in a table.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a database residing in the memory, the database including a first interface for communicating data that indicates the state of the database;

a computer program residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the computer program accessing the database;

a database breakpoint residing in the memory, the database breakpoint specifying at least one database condition; and

a debugger mechanism that performs at least one debug function when the at least one database condition exists in the database, the debugger mechanism including a second interface coupled to the first interface, the second interface receiving the data that indicates the state of the database from the database via the first interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting execution of the computer program.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting operations by other programs to the database.

24. A method for debugging a computer program that accesses a database, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least one database breakpoint that specifies at least one database condition;

executing the computer program; and

when the at least one database condition exists, performing at least one debug function for debugging the computer program.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting execution of the computer program.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting operations by other programs to the database.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query that causes at least one trigger program to be executed.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes reoptimizing a previously run query.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query that locks more than a predetermined number of rows in the database.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query where a query optimizer determines that a temporary index is needed even though an index already exists.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes satisfying at least one programmable threshold in the database.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the at least one programmable threshold includes at least one time limit for performing a specified operation.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the at least one programmable threshold includes a specified number of open commitments for a unit of work in the database.

34. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes detecting when a join order is not as expected.

35. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes an error in conversion in the database.

36. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes at least one timeout of at least one lock in the database.

37. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes an insert execution that does not provide a value for a column or that provides null for a column.

38. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes a column or combination of columns not used in an index.

39. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of a query that involves a table scan.

40. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of a query that will return no rows.

41. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of an update or delete statement that would affect multiple rows in a table.

42. A method for debugging a computer program that accesses a database, the method comprising the steps of:

defining in a debugger at least one database breakpoint that specifies at least one database condition;

executing the computer program under control of the debugger;

the database communicating to the debugger data that indicates the state of the database; and

when the state of the database indicates the at least one database condition exists in the database, performing at least one debug function for debugging the computer program.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting execution of the computer program.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting operations by other programs to the database.

45. A program product comprising:

(A) a debugger mechanism that allows defining a database breakpoint that specifies at least one database condition, the debugger mechanism controlling the execution of a computer program, the debugger mechanism performing at least one debug function for the computer program when the at least one database condition exists in a database accessed by the computer program; and

(B) computer-readable signal bearing media bearing the debugger mechanism.

46. The program product of claim 45 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

47. The program product of claim 45 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

48. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting execution of the computer program.

49. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one debug function includes halting operations by other programs to the database.

50. The program product of claim 45 wherein the debugger mechanism includes a first interface for communicating with the database.

51. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query that causes at least one trigger program to be executed.

52. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes reoptimizing a previously run query.

53. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query that locks more than a predetermined number of rows in the database.

54. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes processing a query where a query optimizer determines that a temporary index is needed even though an index already exists.

55. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes satisfying at least one programmable threshold in the database.

56. The program product of claim 55 wherein the at least one programmable threshold includes at least one time limit for performing a specified operation.

57. The program product of claim 55 wherein the at least one programmable threshold includes a specified number of open commitments for a unit of work in the database.

58. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes detecting when a join order is not as expected.

59. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes an error in conversion in the database.

60. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes at least one timeout of at least one lock in the database.

61. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes an insert execution that does not provide a value for a column or that provides null for a column.

62. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes a column or combination of columns not used in an index.

63. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of a query that involves a table scan.

64. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of a query that will return no rows.

65. The program product of claim 45 wherein the at least one database condition includes the processing of an update or delete statement that would affect multiple rows in a table.

66. A program product comprising:

(A) a debugger mechanism that allows defining a database breakpoint that specifies at least one database condition, the debugger mechanism controlling the execution of a computer program, the debugger mechanism halting execution of the computer program and halting operations by other programs to the database when the at least one database condition exists in a database; and

(B) computer-readable signal bearing media bearing the debugger mechanism.

67. The program product of claim 66 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

68. The program product of claim 66 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises transmission media.