Remote debugging

• US 7,216,257 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kilian, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOHN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US10/762,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging

Abstract

A system and method are described for remotely debugging an application server. In one embodiment, a plurality of application servers are organized into groups referred to as “instances.” Each instance may include a group of redundant application servers, one or more debug nodes, and a dispatcher. The dispatcher distributes service requests to each of the application servers in accordance with a load-balancing mechanism. In addition, a central message passing architecture is defined which allows the various instances to communicate with one another. In one embodiment, a debug node is isolated from the load-balancing mechanism. The debug node may also be isolated from the central message passing architecture. A remote node may then debug an application on the debug node, without disrupting processes executing on other application servers in the instance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

starting a debug node from a remote node, wherein the debug node is one of a plurality of nodes within an instance of appilcation servers;

isolating the debug node from a messaging service of the instance of application servers comprising;

removing the debug node from a broadcast destination list of the instance;

instructing the debug node to transition to a debugging state; and

accessing a debug port of the debug node to start a debugging session;

isolating the debug node from a load-balancing mechanism of the instance of application servers;

debugging an application on the debug node from the remote node; and

stopping the debug node from the remote node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed debug port is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port of the debug node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein debugging the application on the debug node from the remote node comprises debugging a Web application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein debugging the Web application comprises;

starting a Web browser on the remote node to interact with the Web application; and

receiving a debug notification from the debug port of the debug node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein stopping the debug node from the remote node comprises:

ending the debugging session; and

disabling the debug node from the remote node.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a development environment to debug a remote application; and

a processor and logic executable thereon to;

start a debug node, wherein the debug node is one of a plurality of nodes within a remote instance of application servers;

isolate the debug node from a messaging service of the instance of application servers by;

removing the debug node from a broadcast destination list of the instance;

instructing the debug node to transition to a debugging state; and

accessing a debug port of the debug node to start a debugging session;

isolate the debug node from a load-balancing mechanism of the instance of application servers;

debug an application on the debug node; and

stop the debug node.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor and logic executable thereon to debug the application on the debug node comprises a processor and logic executable thereon to debug a Java-based application executing on a Java virtual machine of the debug node.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor and logic executable thereon to stop the debug node comprises a processor and logic executable thereon to

end a debugging session between the apparatus and the debug node;

and

disable the debug node.

9. A system comprising:

a means for starting a debug node from a remote node, wherein the debug node is one of a plurality of nodes within an instance of application servers;

a means for isolating the debug node from a load-balancing mechanism of the instance of application servers;

a means for isolating the debug node from a messaging service of the instance of application servers comprising;

a means for removing the debug node from a broadcast destination list of the instance;

a means for instructing the debug node to transition to a debugging state; and

a means for accessing a debug port of the debug node to start a debugging session;

a means for debugging an application on the debug node from the remote node; and

a means for stopping the debug node from the remote node.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for debugging the application on the debug node from the remote node comprises:

a means for debugging a Web application on the debug node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for debugging the Web application comprises:

a means for starting a Web browser on the remote node to interact with the Web application; and

a means for receiving a debug notification from the debug port of the debug node.

12. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium providing instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to

start a debug node from a remote node, wherein the debug node is one of a plurality of nodes within an instance of application servers;

isolate the debug node from a load-balancing mechanism of the instance of application servers;

isolate the debug node from a messaging service of the instance of application servers, which further cause the apparatus to

remove the debug node from a broadcast destination list of the instance;

instruct the debug node to transition to a debugging state;

access a debug port of the debug node to start a debugging session;

debug an application on the debug node from the remote node; and

stop the debug node from the remote node.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to debug the application on the debug node from the remote node cause the apparatus to

debug a Web application on the debug node.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to debug the Web application on the debug node cause the apparatus to

start a Web browser on the remote node to interact with the Web application;

and

receive a debug notification from the debug port of the debug node.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to stop the debug node from the remote node cause the apparatus to

end the debugging session;

and

disable the debug node from the remote node.