Method and system for generically reporting events occurring within a computer system

• US 20040107387A1
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Greenberg, Steven M., Fischer, Kevin J., Larsson, Jeffrey E., Glerum, Kirk A., McClurg, Meredith A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/39
• 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 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow

Abstract

The invention provides a method and computer-readable medium for generically reporting the occurrence of an event occurring within a computer system. When an event occurs, parameter values corresponding to one or more predefined parameters that describe the event are identified. The parameter values are then stored in a normalized database configured for storing event parameters corresponding to the occurrence of an unlimited number of event types.

Claims

1. A method for reporting the occurrence of an event comprising:

detecting the occurrence of the event;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the event, identifying parameter values corresponding to one or more predefined parameters that describe the event; and

storing the parameter values in a normalized database configured for storing event parameters corresponding to the occurrence of a plurality of types of events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises an unhandled exception, a program crash, or an assert.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the normalized database comprises:

a first table storing data defining an event type for an event and data identifying the number of parameters utilized to describe an occurrence of the event;

a second table related to the first table storing data uniquely identifying one or more occurrences of the event and data identifying the event type for each occurrence; and

a third table related to the second table storing parameter values for each occurrence of an event, the number of parameter values equivalent to the number of parameters identified in the first table for the event type corresponding to the occurrence of the event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the normalized database further comprises:

a fourth table related to the first table, the fourth table storing data identifying a name for each of the parameters associated with each event type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second table further comprises data identifying a number of occurrences in the database for each event type and unique parameter values corresponding to an occurrence of the event.

6. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instruction which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

7. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.

19. The database of claim 1S, wherein the second table further comprises data identifying a number of occurrences in the database for each event type and unique parameter values corresponding to an occurrence of the event.

20. The database of claim 19, wherein the second table further comprises data describing needed data to be provided relating to an occurrence of an event.

21. The database of claim 20, wherein the first table further comprises data identifying a name for each event type.

8. A method of generically reporting the occurrence of a plurality of types of events, comprising:

detecting the occurrence of an event;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the event, generating an event manifest containing data identifying an event name for the event and containing parameter values for one or more parameters corresponding to the event name;

transmitting the event name and parameter values to a remote database server application;

in response to transmitting the event name and parameter values, receiving data identifying additional data needed regarding the occurrence of the event;

assembling the needed data; and

transmitting the needed data to the remote database server application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the event comprises a program crash, a setup error, or an assert.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to detecting the occurrence of the event and following the generation of the manifest:

constructing a network address comprising the event name and the parameters;

attempting to locate a data file at the network address;

determining whether the data file was located at the network address and retrieving the data file;

in response to retrieving the data file, identifying a second network address based on the contents of the data file; and

retrieving information regarding the occurrence of the event from the second network location.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the event name and parameter values;

determining whether the event name is identified in a first database table containing data associating an event type and a number of parameters with the event name;

in response to determining that the event name is identified in the first table, creating a new record in a second database table, the new record uniquely identifying the occurrence of the event and the event type for the occurrence of the event; and

creating one or more records in a third database table, each of the new records in the third database table identifying the occurrence of the event, a parameter associated with the occurrence of the event, and a value for the parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying the needed data from a record stored in the second database table corresponding to the event type.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing the needed data in a database record associated with the event type.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the event name and parameter values;

determining whether the event name is identified in a first database table containing data associating an event type and a number of parameters with the event name;

in response to determining that the event name is identified in the first table, determining whether an occurrence of the event is identified in an existing database record having an event name and parameter values identical to the received event name and parameter values; and

incrementing a hit value associated with the existing value in response to locating a matching existing database record.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 8.

16. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 8.

17. A database for storing data relating to one or more events, comprising:

a first table storing data defining an event type for an event and data identifying the number of parameters utilized to describe an occurrence of the event;

a second table related to the first table storing data uniquely identifying one or more occurrences of the event and data identifying the event type for each occurrence; and

a third table related to the second table storing parameter values for each occurrence of an event, the number of parameter values equivalent to the number of parameters identified in the first table for the event type corresponding to the occurrence of the event.

18. The database of claim 17, further comprising:

a fourth table related to the first table, the fourth table storing data identifying a name for each of the parameters associated with each event type.

22. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon the database of claim 17.