Diagnostic image

• US 7,379,849 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Inamdar, Rajendra, Shrivastava, Sandeep, Lindsay, R. Sean, Mousseau, Richard, LeCompte, Ryan, Hess, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano; Edward R
• Application Number:
  US11/133,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01, 340/870.16, 340/500, 340/679, 700/90, 700/108, 702/127, 702/182, 702/183, 702/185, 702/187, 707/1, 707/100, 707/101, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

Diagnostic information can be stored and then collected into a large diagnostic image file upon an event, such as a prefailure condition. The diagnostic image can be compressed for emailing to a second site to allow the determination of problems with server software at the server software site.

Claims

1. A computer-based method comprising:

upon an event, compiling a diagnostic information about the state of server software into a data stream wherein a timer is used to inhibit the collection of multiple diagnostic images within a certain time period; and

losslessly compressing the data stream, wherein the losslessly compressed data stream is such that when it is transmitted to a remote computer, the losslessly compressed data stream can be completely reconstructed.

2. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein data stream is compressed into a ZIP file.

3. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein the compressed data stream is sent across the internet from the server software site to a central location.

4. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein the compressed data stream is sent in an e-mail.

5. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein a timer is used to inhibit the compilation of a diagnostic image too close to a previous compilation of a diagnostic image.

6. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein the event is a user requesting a diagnostic image.

7. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic information is a diagnostic image including information concerning multiple software components of the server software.

8. The computer-based method of claim 7, wherein the diagnostic image is at least a megabyte.

9. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein the event is the determination of a failure.

10. The computer-based method of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic information is a diagnostic image including information concerning multiple software components of the server software and wherein the diagnostic image is not compiled for every failure.

11. A computer-readable medium adapted to interact functionally with a computer, the computer readable medium including code comprising:

code to, upon an event, compile diagnostic information about the state of server software into a data stream wherein a timer is used to inhibit the collection of multiple diagnostic images within a certain time period; and

code to losslessly compress the data stream, wherein the losslessly compressed data stream is such that when it is transmitted to a remote computer, the losslessly compressed data stream can be completely reconstructed.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein data stream is compressed into a ZIP file.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the compressed data stream is sent across the internet from the server software site to a central location.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the compressed data stream is sent in an e-mail.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a timer is used to inhibit the compilation of a diagnostic image too close to a previous compilation of a diagnostic image.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the event is a user requesting a diagnostic image.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic information is a diagnostic image including information concerning multiple software components of the server software.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the diagnostic image is at least a megabyte.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the event is the determination of a failure.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the diagnostic information is a diagnostic image including information concerning multiple software components of the server software and wherein the diagnostic image is not compiled for every failure.