System for remote debugging of client/server application

• US 6,263,456 B1
• Filed: 01/07/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fok, Madeline, Boxall, Alan Stewart, Nesbitt, Murray James, Labadie, Eric, Ng, Gin Yee, Wessels, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Application Number:
  US09/004,134
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 714/31, 714/25, 714/38, 714/46, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging

Abstract

A system for remotely debugging application code on client/server systems. The system comprises a kicker program and a debugging engine installed on the server and a debugging user interface installed on a client machine. When a call is made to the application code on the server machine, the kicker program starts the debugging engine to debug the application code. The kicker program stops the debugging engine when the application code has been stepped through or returns. The debugging engine includes means for remotely starting the debugging user interface installed on the client machine.

Claims

1. A debugging system for a networked computer system having a server machine, one or more client machines having means for initiating a call to the server machine and a network for transferring information between the server machine and the client machines, said debugging system comprising:

(a) processing means for processing calls from said client machines to an application program on said server machine by initiating an associated program on said server having a dynamic link library, said processing means separate from said application program and including means for automatically invoking said application program by said associated program having said dynamic link library and means for returning from said application program, and said means for invoking including means for generating a first control output prior to said application program being invoked, and said means for returning including means for generating a second control output after said application program returns;

(b) debugging means for debugging the application program on said server machine;

(c) controller means for controlling said debugging means, said controller means including means responsive to said first control output from said processing means for initiating operation of said debugging means and means responsive to said second control output from said processing means for terminating operation of said debugging means;

(d) said means for initiating operation of said debugging means including means for passing information to said debugging means for identifying the application program to be debugged.

2. The debugging system as claimed in claim 1, further including a debugging user interface installed on one of said client machines, and said controller means including remote activation means for activating said debugging user interface from said server system and transferring debugging information to said debugging user interface.

3. The debugging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said remote activation means includes means for receiving an identifier for the client machine with the debugging user interface.

4. The debugging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said identifier is received by said processing means from the client machine, and passed to said remote activation means.

5. The debugging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said debugging means includes means for detecting said controller means on said server machine and means for initiating a remote debugging session in response to a call being made to the application program on the server machine.

6. The debugging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes means for activating said controller means in response to a call being received from one of said client machines.

7. The debugging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller means comprises a dynamic link program loaded on the server machine, and including means for receiving information from said processing means and means for transferring selected information to said debugging means.

8. The debugging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said client machine includes a debug daemon and a debugging user interface, said debug daemon being responsive to control information received from said debugging means and including means for activating said debugging user interface in response thereto.

9. The debugging system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said debug daemon and said debugging user interface are installed on a client machine other than the client machine initiating the call.

10. A method for remotely debugging an application program in a networked computer system having a server machine, one or more client machines having means for initiating a call to the application program on the server machine and a network for transferring information between the server machine and the client machines, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) initiating a call from the client machine to the application program on the server machine;

(b) processing said call to the application program on the server machine by initiating a separate associated program having a dynamic link library, said processing including automatically invoking a debugging session by said separate associated program having said dynamic link library for the application program on the server machine, said debugging session being invoked prior to execution of the application program on the server machine;

(c) terminating the debugging session upon execution of the application program.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of invoking a debugging session on the application program further includes activating a debugging user interface on a client machine for monitoring said debugging session.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of invoking the debugging session comprises starting a debugging engine on the server machine and directing the debugging engine to the application program.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the call from said client machine includes information about said client machine and information about the location of the debugging user interface.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said processing step includes the step of identifying the presence of a control program on the server machine, and in response to the presence of the control program invoking the debugging session on the next call to the application program from a client machine.

15. A computer program product for use in a networked computer system having a server machine, one or more client machines having means for initiating a call to the server machine and a network for transferring information between the server machine and the client machines, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means recorded on said medium for instructing said computer system to perform the steps of,

(a) initiating a call from the client machine to the application program on the server machine;

(b) processing said call to the application program on the server machine by initiating a separate associated program on said server having a dynamic link library, and said processing including automatically invoking a debugging session for the application program by said separate associated program having said dynamic link library on the server machine, said debugging session being invoked prior to execution of the application program on the server machine;

(c) terminating the debugging session upon execution of the application program.