Generation of runtime execution traces of applications and associated problem determination

• US 6,802,054 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Faraj, Mazen
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/925,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124-135, 714/37-38, 714/45
• US Class Current: 717/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer system for generating and analyzing application trace data includes a monitor for launching Java language virtual machines using the Java Platform Debug Architecture to enable the virtual machines to generate event data on the occurrence of specified events during application execution on the virtual machines. The event data is placed on an event queue and the monitor removes the event data from the event queue for forwarding to a logging service. The logging service records the event data in a trace file. A set of problem determination tools use defined product description, and the trace file data to provide an analysis to a user based on a defined level of analysis selected by the user from product, component, code and logical levels of analysis.

Claims

1. A computer system for generating application execution trace data, the computer system comprising:

first means for launching one or more virtual machines, defining functional characteristics of each of the virtual machines prior to launching each of the virtual machines, and enabling each of the virtual machines to generate event data on occurrence of specified events during application execution on each of the virtual machines;

second means for receiving the event data from each of the virtual machines and forwarding the event data;

third means for receiving the event data and for generating trace data for storage in a trace file.

2. The computer system for generating application execution trace data of claim 1, wherein the virtual machines are Java language virtual machines and wherein said first means enables the virtual machines to generate event data using application program interfaces supplied by Java Platform Debug Architecture.

3. The computer system for generating application execution trace data of claim 2, wherein said third means comprises an event queue to which each of the virtual machines is enabled to write the event data and from which said third means may read the event data.

4. The computer system for generating application execution trace data of claim 2, wherein said first means further comprises an interface to permit a user to selectively launch one or more of the virtual machines using a Java connector object.

5. The computer system for generating application execution trace data of claim 2, wherein said first means further comprises a filter for defining a subset of the event data, and the event data forwarded to the logging services component is restricted to the defined subset.

6. Computer readable code stored on a computer usable medium for generating application execution trace data, said computer readable code comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to define functional characteristics of a virtual machine so that the virtual machine is enabled to generate event data on occurrence of specified events during application execution on the virtual machine;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive the event data from the virtual machine and to forward the event data to a logging service; and

third computer readable program code means for causing the logging service to generate trace data and to store trace data in a trace file.

7. The computer readable code of claim 6, wherein the virtual machine is a Java language virtual machine and wherein the functional characteristics are defined to generate event data on the occurrence of specified events during application execution by use of application program interfaces supplied by a Java Platform Debug Architecture.

8. The computer readable code of claim 7, further comprising fourth computer readable program means for providing and displaying user interface to permit a user to selectively launch one or more virtual machines using a Java connector object.

9. The computer readable code of claim 6, in which said third computer readable program code means comprises an event queue to which the virtual machine is enabled to write the event data and further comprising computer readable program code means for causing the computer to retrieve said event data from the event queue and to forward said event data to the logging service for storage in the trace file.

10. The computer readable code of claim 6, further comprising fifth computer readable program means for filtering the event data to provide a subset of the event data, wherein only the subset of the event data is forwarded to the logging service.

11. A method for generating application execution trace data in a computing environment, said the method comprising the steps of:

defining functional characteristics of a virtual machine so that the virtual machine is enabled to generate event data on occurrence of specified events during execution of an application on the virtual machine and to send the event data to an event queue;

launching the virtual machine and executing one or more applications on the virtual machine;

initializing and running a logging service for storing trace data in a trace file;

generating event data upon the occurrence of specified events;

sending the event data to the event queue;

then forwarding the event data to the logging service; and

storing the event data in the trace file.

12. A method for generating a Java application execution trace data according to claim 11, wherein a monitor defines the Java virtual machine using the Java Platform Debug Architecture to enable the virtual machine to generate the event data on the occurrence of specified events during execution of an application on the virtual machine and to send the event data to the event queue, the monitor registering events with an event request manager, the monitor retrieving the event data from the event queue and forwarding the event data to the logging service for storage in the trace file until event data specifying the termination of the virtual machine is retrieved.

13. Java language package for generating application execution trace data, the package comprising:

a monitor for launching one or more Java virtual machines, said monitor defining functional characteristics of each of the Java virtual machines prior to launch of each of the Java virtual machines, each of the Java virtual machines being enabled by the monitor, using Java Platform Debug Architecture, to generate event data on occurrence of specified events during application execution on each of the Java virtual machines and to forward the event data to an event queue; and

a logging services component for receiving the event data from the event queue and for generating trace data from the event data for storage in a trace file.

14. The Java package for generating application execution trace data according to claim 13, wherein the monitor comprises the event queue and the monitor retrieves the event data from the event queue and forwards the event data to the logging services component.

15. The Java package for generating application execution trace data according to claim 13, wherein the monitor comprises the event queue and a filter for defining a subset of the event data, the monitor retrieving the event data from the event queue, filtering the retrieved event data to define the subset of the event data and forwarding the subset of the event data to the logging services component.

16. The Java package for generating application execution trace data according to claim 13, wherein the monitor further comprises a user interface compartment which may be displayed to a user to permit the user to selectively launch the one or more of the virtual machines using Java connector objects.

17. In a computing environment, a system for analyzing trace file data, said system system comprising:

means for reading one or more product descriptions and for reading trace file data, each of the product descriptions comprising rules;

means for selectively executing the rules based on information contained in the trace file data; and

reporting means for generating and displaying data for a user based on the execution of the rules by said executing means.

18. The system for analyzing trace file data according to claim 17, further comprising means for permitting a user to select between pre-defined sets of rules based on a level of analysis of the trace file data required by the user.

19. The system for analyzing trace file data according to claim 18, wherein the level of analysis is selected from a group comprised of product level, component level, code level and logical level.

20. In a computing environment, a system for generating and analyzing application execution trace data, the said system comprising:

means for defining functional characteristics of virtual machines prior to launch of each of the virtual machines, each of the virtual machines being enabled by said defining means to generate event data on occurrence of specified events during application execution on each of the virtual machines;

means for launching each of the virtual machines;

means for receiving the event data and for generating trace data based on the received event data for storage in a trace file;

means for reading one or more product descriptions and for reading the trace data from the trace file, wherein each of the product descriptions comprise rules;

means for selectively executing the rules based on information contained in the trace data; and

means for generating and displaying data for a user based on the execution of the rules by said executing means.

21. A computer program product for analyzing trace file data, the computer program product comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to read one or more product descriptions and trace file data, each of the product description comprising rules;

second computer readable program code means for causing a computer to selectively execute the rules based on information contained in the trace file data; and

third computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate and display data for a user based on the execution of the rules.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising fourth computer readable program code means for causing a computer to permit the user to select between pre-defined sets of rules based on a level of analysis of the trace file data desired by the user.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the level of analysis is selected from a group comprised of product level analysis, component level analysis, code level analysis and logical level analysis.

24. A computer program product for generating and analyzing application execution trace data, the computer program product comprising:

first computer readable program code means for defining functional characteristics of one or more virtual machines prior to launch of each of the virtual machines, each of the virtual machines being enabled to generate event data upon occurrence of specified events during application execution on each of the virtual machines;

second computer readable program code means for launching the one or more virtual machines;

third computer readable program code means for receiving the event data from each of the virtual machines and for generating trace data for storage in a trace file;

fourth computer readable program code means for reading one or more product descriptions and the trace data, each of the product descriptions comprising rules;

fifth computer readable program code means for selectively executing the rules based on information contained in the trace data; and

sixth computer readable program code means for generating and displaying data for a user based on the execution of the rules.

25. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code means embodied in medium for generating application execution trace data, said computer program product comprising:

first computer readable program code means for defining functional characteristics of a virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine is enabled to generate event data upon occurrence of specified events during application execution on the virtual machine, and to send the event data to an event queue;

second computer readable program code means for launching the virtual machine and executing one or more applications on the virtual machine;

third computer readable program code means for retrieving the event data from the event queue and storing the event data in a trace file based on the retrieved event data.