Web-based analysis of defective computer programs

• US 20060184829A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristoga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aristoga Incorporated
• Inventors: Cheong, Gerald I.L., Xu, Dong
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589

Abstract

A method and system for web-based analysis of defective computer programs is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a method at a third-party computer remote from a customer computer with a defective program and remote from a set of computers associated with a support provider for the defective program. The method involves receiving log data and program code associated with the log data that was collected from the defective program on the customer computer; decompiling the program code if the program code is not already decompiled; and providing analysis of the received log data and the decompiled program code to a network application in communication with the third-party computer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a configuration file at a customer computer;

receiving application-specific executable code;

loading the configuration file into a software data collection program on the customer computer;

using the software data collection program, collecting log data and program code associated with the log data from a defective program on the customer computer;

executing the application-specific code to produce application-specific log information from the defective program;

sending at least part of the collected log data, the application-specific log information, and the program code to a remote computer that is separate from computers controlled by a support provider for the defective program, wherein the remote computer is configured to provide analysis of the sent collected log data, the application-specific log information, and the program code to a network application in communication with the remote computer; and

receiving instructions that make the defective program work properly.

2. A method, comprising:

receiving a configuration file at a customer computer;

loading the configuration file into a software data collection program on the customer computer;

using the software data collection program, collecting log data and program code associated with the log data from a defective program on the customer computer; and

sending at least part of the collected log data and the program code to a remote computer that is separate from computers controlled by a support provider for the defective program, wherein the remote computer is configured to provide analysis of the sent collected log data and the program code to a network application in communication with the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 2, including receiving instructions that make the defective program work properly.

4. The method of claim 2, including:

receiving application-specific executable code;

executing the application-specific code to produce application-specific log information; and

sending at least part of the application-specific log information to the remote computer.

5. The method of claim 4, including loading the application-specific code into the software data collection program.

6. The method of claim 4, including executing the application-specific code to extract application-specific information from the defective program.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the analysis provided by the remote computer helps identify one or more defects in the defective program.

8. The method of claim 2, including decompiling the program code prior to sending at least part of the decompiled program code to a remote computer.

9. A system comprising a customer computer, wherein the customer computer is configured to:

receive a configuration file;

load the configuration file into a software data collection program on the customer computer;

using the software data collection program, collect log data and program code associated with the log data from a defective program on the customer computer; and

send at least part of the collected log data and the program code to a remote computer that is separate from computers controlled by a support provider for the defective program, wherein the remote computer is configured to provide analysis of the sent collected log data and the program code to a network application in communication with the remote computer.

10. A method, comprising:

at a third-party computer remote from a customer computer with a defective program and remote from a set of computers associated with a support provider for the defective program;

receiving log data and program code associated with the log data that was collected from the defective program on the customer computer;

decompiling the program code if the program code is not already decompiled; and

providing analysis of the received log data and the decompiled program code to a network application in communication with the third-party computer.

11. The method of claim 10, including sending information about how to access the received log data and program code to a computer in the set of computers associated with the support provider for the defective program.

12. A system comprising at least one third-party computer remote from a customer computer with a defective program and remote from a set of computers associated with a support provider for the defective program, wherein the at least one third-party computer is configured to:

receive log data and program code associated with the log data that was collected from the defective program on the customer computer;

decompile the program code if the program code is not already decompiled; and

provide analysis of the received log data and the decompiled program code to a network application in communication with the third-party computer.

13. A machine readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, which when executed by a third-party computer remote from a customer computer with a defective program and remote from a set of computers associated with a support provider for the defective program, cause the third-party computer to:

receive log data and program code associated with the log data that was collected from the defective program on the customer computer;

decompile the program code if the program code is not already decompiled; and

provide analysis of the received log data and the decompiled program code to a network application in communication with the third-party computer.

14. A method, comprising:

at a computer associated with a support provider for a defective program remote from a third-party computer, using a network application to access and direct the analysis of log data and program code at the third-party computer, wherein a software analysis program on a customer computer collected the log data and the program code from the defective program on the customer computer.

15. The method of claim 14, including receiving information about how to access the log data and program code at the third-party computer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information about how to access the log data and program code at the third-party computer is received from the third-party computer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information about how to access log data and program code at the third-party computer is contained in an electronic message that includes a unique identifier in the body of the message.

18. The method of claim 14, including using the network application to access and direct the analysis of application-specific log information at the third-party computer, wherein the software analysis program on the customer computer collected the application-specific log information on the customer computer.

19. The method of claim 14, including accessing analysis tools on the third-party computer to analyze the log data and the program code.

20. The method of claim 14, including using the network application to cause the remote computer to perform analysis of the log data and the program code and to receive corresponding results.