Send of software tracer messages via IP from several sources to be stored by a remote server

• US 7,451,206 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Geck, Bertram, Lima, Robinson Osmar, Zaniolo, Luiz Cesar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US10/151,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 717/128, 717/124, 709/218, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for accessing complex computer based systems initiates a trace and debug session via IP causing the resulting output to be stored in a designated remote server on the Internet which can accept large amounts of information. The trace and debug information subsequently can be accessed from any engineering workstation or personal computer from any other location via the Internet. The invention permits the trace sessions to run independent of any local access and permits several technical people in different locations to access the remote storage server simultaneously or independently.

Claims

1. A system for initiating tracer sessions, and collecting and storing tracer information for subsequent retrieval and analysis comprising:

a plurality of target systems connected to the Internet, ones of said target systems being capable of producing tracer information during tracer sessions, said tracer information including date and time-stamps corresponding to real time events occurring during a tracer session on said ones and including file information identifying an originating target system;

a storage server connected to the Internet; and

an access station connected to the Internet, said access station for accessing said ones over the Internet to initiate production of said tracer information in a tracer session, and directing said tracer information to be sent over the Internet to said storage server, said access station further for accessing said storage server to retrieve said tracer information over the Internet, wherein events and messages from different ones may by synchronized.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said ones selectively monitor internal operations during simultaneous tracer sessions, collect said tracer information from monitored said internal operations, insert date and time-stamps for tracer session events and send collected said tracer information responsive to said access station at the end of said tracer sessions.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the storage server comprises a plurality of storage servers storing collected said tracer information, stored said tracer information including program path history during a tracer session on said target system, said program path history including date and time-stamps for tracer session events in said program path history.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein each said storage server has a unique destination address and said access station specifies said unique destination address, said tracer information being sent over the Internet to said storage server responsive to said unique destination address after a selected number of hours, days, and weeks.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the tracer information further includes system memory contents and processor register information for said originating target system during each tracer session, said tracer information being sent using Internet Protocol (IP) upon termination of said each tracer session.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said target system is capable of sending said tracer information using at least one of:

a) Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), b) File Transfer Protocol (FTP), c) Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFFP), d) Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), e) Internet Access Protocol revision 4 (IMAP4), f) Internet Message Access Protocol version 4rev1 (ISAKMP), and g) Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the access station comprises a plurality of access stations and each of said ones having said file information identifying the respective target system, wherein inter-system dependent events are synchronized and sequenced to precise date and time-stamps from tracer sessions collected from identified target systems and determining cause and effects of target system events among multiple said ones.

8. A method to initiate a tracer/debug session on a target system from a remote station, the target system and the remote station connected to the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a target system from the remote station by logging on to the target system and receiving authorization via the Internet;

initiating a tracer/debug session within the target system from the remote station;

providing tracer/debug parameters to the target system;

collecting program path history including date and time-stamps at tracer session events during said tracer/debug session; and

directing the target system to send tracer/debug output to a remote storage server connected to the Internet, said tracer/debug output including said date and time-stamps corresponding to real time events occurring on said target system and file information identifying said target system as originating said tracer/debug output, wherein upon termination of each said tracer session/debug session, said tracer/debug output is sent to said remote storage server.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said target system is capable of sending tracer debug output using a protocol including at least one of:

a) Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), b) File Transfer Protocol (FTP), c) Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), d) Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), e) Internet Access Protocol revision 4 (IMAP4), f) Internet Message Access Protocol version 4rev1 (ISAKMP), and g) Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the target system comprises a plurality of target systems selectively monitoring internal operations in simultaneous tracer session/debug sessions and collecting tracer information from monitored ones responsive to provided said tracer/debug parameters and sending collected said tracer information to said storage server;

and wherein the method further comprises synchronizing and sequencing inter-system dependent tracer session events to said date and time-stamps from tracer sessions and determining cause and effects of target system events among multiple said target systems.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the storage server comprises a plurality of storage servers storing collected tracer/debug output, and synchronizing program path histories and sequencing said inter-system dependent tracer session events.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the remote station is one of a plurality of engineering access stations, stored said tracer tracer/debug output includes program path history on said target system and sequencing information, wherein inter-system dependent events have said precise date and time-stamps from identified target systems for synchronizing said tracer session events and determining cause and effects among multiple said identified target systems.

13. A method according to claim 8, further including the step of:

providing file naming information for naming a file for storing the tracer/debug output stored on the remote storage server.

14. A method according to claim 13, further including the step of:

providing a storage server destination address.

15. A method according to claim 8, further including the steps of:

terminating said tracer session/debug session after a selected period of time;

sending said tracer/debug output from the target system to said storage server;

receiving said tracer/debug output at said storage server; and

storing said tracer/debug output in a named file at said storage server.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the said tracer/debug output includes program path history for one or more tracer session on said target system.

17. A method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

accessing said storage server from said remote station; and

retrieving said tracer debug output from said storage server.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of accessing said storage server includes the step of:

providing a name of said named file.

19. A method according to claim 8, wherein said remote station is a personal computer.

20. A method for remotely managing tracer data, comprising the steps of:

connecting a target system to the Internet;

connecting a remote terminal to the Internet;

connecting storage terminal to the Internet;

using said remote terminal to control said target system to conduct a tracer session on said target system for a selected period of time, tracer data being collected during said tracer session;

sending said tracer data to said storage terminal over the Internet under control of said remote terminal said tracer data including date and time-stamps corresponding to real-time events occurring during a tracer session on said target system during said tracer session and including the information identifying said target system;

storing said tracer data with said storage terminal;

and using said remote terminal to retrieve said tracer data from said storage terminal, wherein inter-system dependent events have precise date and time-stamps from identified target systems during said selected period of time for synchronizing said events and determining cause and effects among multiple said identified target systems.

21. A method for remotely managing tracer data as recited in claim 20, said target system selectively monitoring internal operations responsive to said remote control, collecting said tracer data during said tracer session responsive to said remote control said selected period of time having a selected number of hours, days, and weeks, said tracer data including program path history on said target system, said tracer data being transferred over the Internet using one of a) Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), b) File Transfer Protocol (FTP), c) Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), d) Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), e) Internet Access Protocol revision 4 (IMAP4), f) Internet Message Access Protocol version 4rev1 (ISAKMP), and g) Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).