Diagnostic method and article for identifying significant events

• US 6,951,011 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sexton, Harlan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingberg, Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nahar, Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US09/583,747
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124, 717/125, 717/127, 717/129, 717/131, 717/135
• US Class Current: 717/124
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

Backtraces are logged in the log file during execution of a program and tagged with information that can categorize the backtraces. Certain tags are also marked as “interesting” in the log file. A report is generated from the log file, indicating which of the backtraces are associated with the tags marked as interesting. In one embodiment, allocations of objects are logged with their addresses, and the objects that are later migrated into session memory are marked interesting.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing a program, comprising the steps of:

logging a plurality of stack traces and respective tags in a log file at respective points during execution of the program; and

recording within the log file one or more of the tags as one or more marked tags, wherein the tags indicate respective addresses of allocated objects; and

the one or more marked tags indicate one or more respective addresses of migrated objects.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

producing a report based on the log file.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

identifying one or more of the stack traces that are associated with any of the one or more tags marked; and

producing the report based on the identified one or more of the stack traces.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein producing the report includes:

identifying a last stack trace that is associated with one of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified last stack trace.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

processing the log file from the end backward until the beginning.

6. A method for producing a diagnostic report for a program, comprising the steps of:

accessing a log file comprising a list of stack traces and respective tags at associated points during execution of the program and comprising one or more marked tags; and

producing the diagnostic report based on the log file, wherein the tags indicate respective addresses of allocated objects; and

the one or more marked tags indicate one or more respective addresses of migrated objects.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

identifying one or more of the stack traces that are associated with any of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified one or more of the stack traces.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein producing the report includes:

identifying a last stack trace that is associated with one of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified last stack trace.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

processing the log file from the end backward until the beginning.

10. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for analyzing a program, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereby to perform the steps of:

logging a plurality of stack traces and respective tags in a log file at respective points during execution of the program; and

recording within the log file one or more of the tags as one or more marked tags, wherein the tags indicate respective addresses of allocated objects; and

the one or more marked tags indicate one or more respective addresses of migrated objects.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further bearing instructions for performing the step of:

producing a report based on the log file.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

identifying one or more of the stack traces that are associated with any of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified one or more of the stack traces.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein producing the report includes:

identifying a last stack trace that is associated with one of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified last stack trace.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

processing the log file from the end backward until the beginning.

15. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for producing a diagnostic report for a program, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereby to perform the steps of:

accessing a log file comprising a list of stack traces and respective tags at associated points during execution of the program and comprising one or more marked tags; and

producing the diagnostic report based on the log file, wherein the tags indicate respective addresses of allocated objects; and

the one or more marked tags indicate one or more respective addresses of migrated objects.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the step of producing the report includes:

identifying one or more of the stack traces that are associated with any of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified one or more of the stack traces.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein producing the report includes:

identifying a last stack trace that is associated with one of the one or more marked tags; and

producing the report based on the identified last stack trace.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the step of producing the report include:

processing the log file from the end backward until the beginning.