Collection driver for collecting system data using record based requests with tag lists and pausing all but one thread of a computer system

• US 6,694,510 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Willems, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEELMAN, MARY J
• Application Number:
  US09/706,050
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124, 717/125, 711/100, 711/117
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

A method for parsing a linked list to extract data therefrom includes the step of constructing a record list having a list element descriptor descriptive of data to be retrieved from a linked list. The method also includes the steps of following a list head locator of the list element descriptor to a head of the linked list, following links to a node of the linked list, interpreting a tag of the list element descriptor to locate data of the node, and extracting data from the node.

Claims

1. A collection driver program product for accessing data of named executable modules of an operating system executing on a target machine, the operating system having version information, the collection driver program product comprising computer readable code stored on computer readable media, the computer readable code comprising code for:

receiving an input record list from the requestor containing records describing data to be captured;

suspending execution of all threads running on the target machine except the collection driver program;

interpreting the input record list and collecting operating system data specified by the input record list into a capture buffer;

restarting execution of the suspended threads; and

transmitting the capture buffer to the requestor.

2. The collection driver program product of claim 1, wherein the code for interpreting an input record list includes code for interpreting a list memory descriptor that specifies a list head and tag information specifying data to gathered from nodes of a linked list.

3. The collection driver program product of claim 1, wherein the code for interpreting an input record list includes code for interpreting a scalar memory descriptor.

4. The collection driver program product of claim 3, wherein the code for interpreting an input record list includes code for interpreting a list memory descriptor that specifies a list head and tag information specifying data to gathered from nodes of a linked list.

5. The collection driver program product of claim 1, wherein the code for interpreting an input record list includes code for interpreting a list memory descriptor of the input record list that specifies information to be gathered from nodes of a linked list having a list head located in a node of a parent list, a list head of the parent list being specified by the list memory descriptor.

6. The collection driver program product of claim 5, wherein the code for interpreting the input record list and collecting operating system data specified by the input record list into a capture buffer includes code for marking formatted data in the capture buffer with scalar buffer descriptors and list buffer descriptors.

7. The collection driver of claim 5, wherein the computer readable code for receiving an input record list from the requestor is capable of receiving an input record over a network connection from a second machine, and computer readable code for, upon request, reading the version information from the operating system executing on the target machine and returning this version information to a requestor.

8. A collection driver for collecting data from memory of a computer system comprising computer readable media having recorded therein computer readable code for:

receiving a record list, the record list comprising at least a first list element descriptor descriptive of data to be retrieved from a first linked list;

suspending execution of threads running on the computer system except the collection driver;

following a list head locator of the list element descriptor to a head of the first linked list;

following links of the head of the first linked list to a first node of the linked list;

interpreting at least one tag of the first list element descriptor to locate data of the node;

extracting data from the node; and

restarting execution of the suspended threads automatically upon completing the extracting.

9. The collection driver of claim 8, wherein:

the record list further comprises a second list element descriptor descriptive of data to be retrieved from a second linked list, and wherein a node of the first list contains a head of the second list; and

the computer readable code further comprises code for;

following a list head locator of the second list element descriptor to a second list head of the node of the first linked list;

following links of the second list head to a node of the second linked list; and

extracting data from the second linked list.

10. A method of debugging a computer, comprising:

running a collection driver on the computer;

receiving with the collection driver an input record list;

using a first operating system call to suspend execution of all processes and threads other than the collection driver running on computer;

capturing a snapshot of the computer based on the input record list;

upon completion of the capturing, using a second operating system call to restart execution of the suspended processes and threads, whereby operation of the computer is only interrupted for a period of time required to complete the capturing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the period of time is less than about 20 milliseconds.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the capturing includes collecting operating system data specified by the input record list, the operating system data specifying one of a set of operating system types.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the input record list comprises at least a first list element descriptor descriptive of data to be retrieved from a first linked list and wherein the capturing includes:

following a list head locator of the list element descriptor to a head of the first linked list;

following links of the head of the first linked list to a first node of the linked list;

interpreting at least one tag of the first list element descriptor to locate data of the node; and

extracting data from the node.