Call-stack pattern matching for problem resolution within software

• US 20070038896A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, Arthur, Champlin, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US11/203,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of diagnosing a fault condition within software can include, responsive to a fault condition within a computing system belonging to an organization, automatically sending call-stack information for the fault condition to a first server within the organization. Within the first server, the call-stack information for the fault condition can be compared with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within the organization to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions. The method further can include sending the call-stack information to a second server for comparison with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within at least one different organization if the call-stack information for the fault condition does not match.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a fault condition within software comprising:

responsive to a fault condition within a computing system belonging to an organization, automatically sending call-stack information for the fault condition to a first server within the organization;

within the first server, comparing the call-stack information for the fault condition with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within the organization to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions; and

if the call-stack information for the fault condition does not match, sending the call-stack information to a second server for comparison with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within at least one different organization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second server is associated with an entity responsible for maintaining the software that experienced the fault condition, and wherein the second server is not part of the organization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches the call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the first server, said method further comprising:

incrementing an occurrence count for the prior fault condition; and

identifying a fault condition having an occurrence count which corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said automatically sending step, translating a call trace into a plurality of function names which comprise, at least in part, the call-stack information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising:

matching the call-stack information of the fault condition with call-stack information for a prior fault condition that occurred within a different organization;

identifying an analyst assigned to the matching, prior fault condition; and

automatically routing the call-stack information to the analyst.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising notifying the organization that sent the call-stack information for the fault condition whether the fault condition is a known issue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising determining whether the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising:

determining that the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software; and

initiating an automatic update, within the computing system belonging to the organization, of the software to the newer release.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

marking a fault condition resolved for a particular release of the software;

receiving subsequent call-stack information that matches the fault condition that has been marked resolved; and

determining that the call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.

10. A system for diagnosing a fault condition within software, said system comprising:

a computing system belonging to an organization, said computing system executing software configured to detect a fault condition and, responsive to the fault condition, automatically transmit call-stack information corresponding to the fault condition to another computer system within the organization; and

a server belonging to the organization, said server being configured to receive the call-stack information and compare the call-stack information for the fault condition with call-stack information corresponding to prior fault conditions originating from computing systems belonging to the organization, wherein the server is further configured to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions, and, if not, automatically transmits the call-stack information for the fault condition to a server that does not belong to the organization for further analysis.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computing system translates a call trace into a plurality of function names which comprise, at least in part, the call-stack information prior to automatically transmitting the call-stack information to another computer system within the organization.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the server, said server further being configured to increment an occurrence count for the prior fault condition and identify a fault condition having an occurrence count which corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

13. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

responsive to a fault condition within a computing system belonging to an organization, automatically sending call-stack information for the fault condition to a first server within the organization;

within the first server, comparing the call-stack information for the fault condition with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within the organization to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions; and

if the call-stack information for the fault condition does not match, sending the call-stack information to a second server for comparison with fault stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within at least one different organization.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the second server is associated with an entity responsible for maintaining the software that experienced the fault condition, and wherein the second server is not part of the organization.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches the call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the first server, said method further comprising:

incrementing an occurrence count for the prior fault condition; and

identifying a fault condition having an occurrence count which corresponds to a selected criterion.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising, prior to said automatically sending step, translating a call trace into a plurality of function names which comprise, at least in part, the call-stack information.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising:

matching the call-stack information of the fault condition with call-stack information for a prior fault condition that occurred within a different organization;

identifying an analyst assigned to the matching, prior fault condition; and

automatically routing the call-stack information to the analyst.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising determining whether the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising:

determining that the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software; and

initiating an automatic update, within the computing system belonging to the organization, of the software to the newer release.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising:

marking a fault condition resolved for a particular release of the software;

receiving subsequent call-stack information that matches the fault condition that has been marked resolved; and

determining that the call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.