Source-level debugging of client dump image in a computer network

• US 6,430,707 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, Gareth Christopher, Naylor, Brian L., Evans, David H., Hilpert, Edwin James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US09/282,684
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 714/37, 714/15, 714/25, 714/38, 714/39, 714/41, 714/43, 714/47, 714/48, 714/49, 714/31, 714/18, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/218, 710/11, 710/12, 710/20
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A client station on computer network uses an operating system such as JavaOS which is permanently stored at the server rather than on storage media at the client location. JavaOS is loaded and installed at the client upon bootup of the client. Java is an interpreted language; the source is available at the server and is downloaded as such. Upon the occurrence of a malfunction that causes the client to go off-line, i.e., disappear from the network, a dump image is sent to the server before the client reboots, so that the cause of failure can be determined. The dump image includes the contents of memory, including the JavaOS operating system, and the stack, threads, registers, and local/global variables, which can be analyzed at a source level. This image is sent to the server in formatted packets, by a path separate from that of the TCP/IP network protocol, since the client would not be functioning properly on the network. At the server, the packets making up the dump image are stored on storage media, and the image is reformatted for use by a standard debugging tool, ICAT.

Claims

1. A method of processing an image from a client connected to a server utilizing a first protocol on a network, comprising the steps of:

upon the occurrence of an event at said client initiating a analysis, sending an image of conditions of said client to a server on said network utilizing a second protocol;

said step of sending including transmitting a number of packets of data making up said image;

storing said packets making up said image by said server;

converting said packets to a format usable by a standard analysis tool.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said image is a dump image, said conditions include memory and registers of said client, and said analysis includes failure analysis.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said image includes an operating system being executed by said client.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said operating system is loaded from said server upon boot-up of said client.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said operating system is JavaOS.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said image is converted to source code at said server.

7. A method according to claim 3 wherein said standard analysis is a debugging tool.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said image is a dump image and said event is a condition wherein said client is not active on said network.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first protocol ordinarily used in said network for communication between said client and said server is TCP/IP.

10. A system for processing an image from a client to a server, the client and server being connected to a network, comprising:

means at said client for sending to said server on said network an image of conditions of said client upon the occurrence of an event at said client initiating a analysis,

said means for sending including transmitting a number of packets of data making up said image;

means at said server for storing said packets making up said image; and

means for converting said packets to a format usable by a standard analysis tool.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein said image is a dump image, said conditions include memory and registers of said client, and said analysis includes failure analysis.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein said image includes an operating system being executed by said client.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein said operating system is loadable from said server upon boot-up of said client.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said operating system is JavaOS.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein said image is converted to a format that is understood by a source-level debugger at said server.

16. A system according to claim 12 wherein said standard analysis is a debugging tool.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein said image is a dump image and said event is a condition wherein said client is not active on said network.

18. A system according to claim 10 wherein said first protocol ordinarily used in said network for communication between said client and said server is TCP/IP.