Call-stack pattern matching for problem resolution within software

• US 7,984,334 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, Arthur H., Champlin, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lottich; Joshua P
• Application Number:
  US12/618,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/38
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of diagnosing a fault condition within software can include, responsive to a fault condition within a computing system belonging to an organization, automatically sending call-stack information for the fault condition to a first server within the organization. Within the first server, the call-stack information for the fault condition can be compared with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within the organization to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions. The method further can include sending the call-stack information to a second server for comparison with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within at least one different organization if the call-stack information for the fault condition does not match.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of diagnosing a fault condition comprising:

marking a fault condition, identifiable by call-stack information corresponding to the fault condition, resolved for a particular release of a software;

responsive to detecting a subsequent fault condition, receiving, within a computer system, subsequent call-stack information for the subsequent fault condition that matches the call stack information for the fault condition that has been marked resolved; and

determining, by the computer system, that the subsequent call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

counting occurrences of fault conditions;

and

identifying a fault condition having an occurrence count that corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the criterion to be a minimum number of occurrences.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the criterion to be occurrences of a fault condition having a minimum frequency.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

correlating fault conditions with analysts according to call-stack information; and

automatically routing call-stack information for a selected fault condition to an analyst correlated with the call-stack information of the selected fault condition.

6. A computer-implemented method of diagnosing a fault condition within software comprising:

responsive to a fault condition within a computing system belonging to an organization, automatically sending call-stack information for the fault condition from the computing system to a first server within the organization;

within the first server, comparing the call-stack information for the fault condition with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within the organization to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions;

if the call-stack information for the fault condition does not match, sending the call-stack information to a second server for comparison with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within at least one different organization;

marking a fault condition resolved for a particular release of the software;

receiving subsequent call-stack information that matches the fault condition that has been marked resolved; and

determining that the subsequent call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches the call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the first server, said method further comprising:

determining a frequency of occurrence of the prior fault condition; and

identifying a fault condition having a frequency of occurrence that corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches the call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the first server, said method further comprising:

incrementing an occurrence count for the prior fault condition; and

identifying a fault condition having an occurrence count that corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising, prior to said automatically sending step, translating a call trace into a plurality of function names which comprise, at least in part, the call-stack information.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising:

matching the call-stack information of the fault condition with call-stack information for a prior fault condition that occurred within a different organization;

identifying an analyst assigned to the matching, prior fault condition; and

automatically routing the call-stack information to the analyst.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising notifying the organization that sent the call-stack information for the fault condition whether the fault condition is a known issue.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising determining whether the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, said method further comprising:

determining that the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software; and

initiating an automatic update, within the computing system belonging to the organization, of the software to the newer release.

14. A system for diagnosing a fault condition within software, said system comprising:

a computing system belonging to an organization, said computing system executing software configured to detect a fault condition and, responsive to the fault condition, automatically transmit call-stack information corresponding to the fault condition to another computer system within the organization; and

a server belonging to the organization, said server being configured to receive the call-stack information and compare the call-stack information for the fault condition with call-stack information corresponding to prior fault conditions originating from computing systems belonging to the organization, wherein the server is further configured to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions, and, if not, automatically transmits the call-stack information for the fault condition to a server that does not belong to the organization for further analysis, wherein the server further marks a fault condition resolved for a particular release of the software, receives subsequent call-stack information that matches the fault condition that has been marked resolved, and determines that the subsequent call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing system translates a call trace into a plurality of function names which comprise, at least in part, the call-stack information prior to automatically transmitting the call-stack information to another computer system within the organization.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the server, said server further being configured to increment an occurrence count for the prior fault condition and identify a fault condition having an occurrence count which corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

17. A non-transitory machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

responsive to a fault condition within a computing system belonging to an organization, automatically sending call-stack information for the fault condition to a first server within the organization;

within the first server, comparing the call-stack information for the fault condition with call-stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within the organization to determine whether the call-stack information for the fault condition matches call-stack information from one of the prior fault conditions;

if the call-stack information for the fault condition does not match, sending the call-stack information to a second server for comparison with fault stack information from prior fault conditions that occurred within at least one different organization;

marking a fault condition resolved for a particular release of the software;

receiving subsequent call-stack information that matches the fault condition that has been marked resolved; and

determining that the subsequent call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches the call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the first server, the machine readable storage further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

determining a frequency of occurrence of the prior fault condition; and

identifying a fault condition having a frequency of occurrence that corresponds to at least one selected criterion.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the call-stack information of the fault condition matches the call-stack information from a prior fault condition within the first server, the machine readable storage further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

incrementing an occurrence count for the prior fault condition; and

identifying a fault condition having an occurrence count which corresponds to a selected criterion.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 17, further causing the machine to perform the step of, prior to said automatically sending step, translating a call trace into a plurality of function names which comprise, at least in part, the call-stack information.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, the machine readable storage further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

matching the call-stack information of the fault condition with call-stack information for a prior fault condition that occurred within a different organization;

identifying an analyst assigned to the matching, prior fault condition; and

automatically routing the call-stack information to the analyst.

22. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, the machine readable storage further causing the machine to perform the step of determining whether the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software.

23. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the call-stack information is sent to the second server, the machine readable storage further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

determining that the fault condition is corrected by a newer release of the software; and

initiating an automatic update, within the computing system belonging to the organization, of the software to the newer release.

24. A non-transitory machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

marking a fault condition, identifiable by call-stack information corresponding to the fault condition, resolved for a particular release of a software;

responsive to detecting a subsequent fault condition, receiving, within a computer system, subsequent call-stack information for the subsequent fault condition that matches the call stack information for the fault condition that has been marked resolved; and

determining, by the computer system, that the subsequent call-stack information indicates a fault condition that is unrelated to the fault condition that was marked resolved.

25. The machine readable storage of claim 24, further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

counting occurrences of fault conditions; and

identifying a fault condition having an occurrence count that corresponds to at least one selected criterion.