CAPTURING WEB-BASED SCENARIOS

• US 20110264787A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Elson, Jeremy, Howell, Jon, Mickens, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet

Abstract

This patent application pertains to capturing web-based scenarios. One example detects execution of a web application. This example also automatically captures non-deterministic events of the execution in a manner that is transparent to a user of the web application.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing device causes acts to be performed, comprising:

detecting execution of a web browser; and

,

transparently capturing execution of JavaScript programs running inside the executing web browser.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the transparently capturing comprises only capturing non-deterministic events of the execution.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the transparently capturing comprises running a JavaScript library in the JavaScript programs.

4. A method, comprising:

detecting execution of a web application; and

,

automatically capturing non-deterministic events of the execution in a manner that is transparent to a user of the web application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the automatically capturing comprises automatically capturing non-deterministic events that arise from user inputs to the web application.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the automatically capturing comprises automatically capturing non-deterministic events comprising user inputs or external network events.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the automatically capturing comprises automatically capturing non-deterministic events comprising a return value of non-deterministic function calls.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the automatically capturing comprises creating a synthetic annotation event that contributes to a subsequent replay of a captured event that is otherwise insufficient for replay.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising blocking the web application from cancelling an individual captured non-deterministic event in a manner that would prevent subsequent replay of the individual captured non-deterministic event.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing a network proxy that allows externally loaded data objects to be loaded at replay time in a same order as during the execution.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing a network proxy that allows externally loaded data objects to be loaded at replay time in a same order and with identical content as during the execution.

12. The method of claim 4, in an instance where the web application is a multiple component application, further comprising capturing the non-deterministic events as well as a respective interleaving order relative to the multiple components.

13. A system, comprising:

a web browser configured to execute on a user'"'"'s computer; and

,

a transparent non-deterministic logging tool configured to capture events occurring during the execution.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the web browser is a JavaScript application and wherein the transparent non-deterministic logging tool is manifest as a library configured to run inside the JavaScript application.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a logging proxy support tool configured to receive the library upon failure of the web browser.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the logging proxy support tool is configured to replay the execution utilizing non-determinative events from the library and to block user input during replay.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the transparent non-deterministic logging tool is manifest in a programming language that provides an introspective execution environment.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the transparent non-deterministic logging tool is configured to automatically start-up upon start-up of the web browser.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system consists of a single computing device, and wherein the computing device includes a processor and wherein the processor executes the web browser and the transparent non-deterministic logging tool.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the transparent non-deterministic logging tool is configured to be installed and run on the system without modifying the web browser or requiring an action by the user.