Method and system for remotely debugging a hung or crashed computing system

• US 20080295077A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Krishnamurthy, Vinay, Sengupta, Sabyasachi
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• 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 11/0778 Dumping, i.e. gathering error/state information after a fault for later diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for debugging a computer upon a kernel hang and/or upon a software failure, the method comprising executing a debugger on a remote computer, connecting the hung or crashed computer to the remote computer with a communications link, and debugging the hung or crashed computer with the debugger without rebooting the system. The method may include deconfiguring any kernel driver of the computer attached to the communication card prior to connecting the remote debugger to the computer.

Claims

1. A method for debugging a hung or crashed computing system or panicked software, comprising:

executing a debugger on a remote computer;

connecting said computing system to said remote computer with a communications link; and

debugging said operating system or said panicked software of said computing system with said debugger.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including, before connecting said remote computer to said computing system, deconfiguring a kernel driver in said computing system that previously had claimed a communications link interface card for supporting said communications link.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, including destroying the instance of said debugger used for said debugging after completing said debugging with said debugger.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, including said operating system of said computer reclaiming a communications card of said computing system used for connecting to said remote computer.

14. A computer readable medium provided with program data that, when executed on a computing system, implements the method of claim 1.

5. A method for debugging a hung or crashed operating system or panicked software of a computing device, comprising:

executing a debugger on a remote computer;

connecting said computing device to said remote computer with a communications link; and

debugging said operating system or said panicked software with said debugger.

15. A computer readable medium provided with program data that, when executed on a computing system, implements the method of claim 5.

6. A computing system, comprising:

an operating system;

a remote computing device;

a communications link for connecting said computing system and said remote computing device; and

a debugger accessible by said remote computing device and executable on said remote computing device;

wherein said remote computing device is operable to connect to said computing system with said communications link and to execute said debugger, said debugger being operable by a user to debug said operating system or panicked software following said operating system hanging or crashing or said software panicking.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said computing system is configured to deconfigure a kernel driver of said operating system in response to a hanging or crashing of said operating system prior to connecting to said remote computer.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said remote computer is configured to destroy the instance of said debugger used to debug said operating system or said panicked software after said operating system or said panicked software has been debugged.

9. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said operating system is configured to reclaim a communications card of said computing system used for connecting to said remote computer.

10. A computing system for debugging an operating system or other software of a remote computing device, comprising:

a host computer connectable to said remote computing device; and

a debugger executable on said host computer;

wherein said debugger is operable to debug said operating system or other software.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said computing system is configured to destroy the instance of said debugger used for debugging said operating system or other software after being used to debug said operating system or other software following said operating system hanging or crashing or said or other software panicking.

12. A computing system configured to be debugged remotely and having an operating system, comprising:

a computer configured in response to said operating system hanging or crashing or in response to a panic of other software of said computing system to deconfigure a kernel driver of said computer, to connect to a remote computer provided with a remote debugger, and to accept debugging commands from said remote debugger for said operating system or said other software.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said computer is configured to reclaim a communications card of said computer used for connecting to said remote computer.