Method and system for remote software debugging

• US 8,046,743 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Mills, Eric, Righi, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutten; James D
• Application Number:
  US12/425,455
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

Methods and systems for remotely debugging a software program are provided. The methods and systems make use of a debugger application executing on a host computer and configured to communicate with a debugger module executing on a target computer via a distributed computing network, such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A system for remote software debugging, the system comprising:

a target computer comprising a non-network communications adapter, the target computer operative to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS), the BIOS including a debugger module operative for communication with a host computer via the non-network communications adapter and including a pre-boot execution environment module;

a redirection device coupled to the non-network communications adapter of the target computer and to a network, the redirection device including a network adapter and a non-network communications adapter, the redirection device operative to;

receive video output from the target computer, the video output including a screen display generated by the BIOS executing on the target computer,

compress the video output,

transmit the compressed video output to a host computer,

open a port at the network adapter of the redirection device to which communications from a debugger application executing on the host computer are directed wherein the debugger module of the BIOS executing on the target computer further utilizes the pre-boot execution environment module of the BIOS executing on the target computer to receive and respond to commands received from the debugger application,

convert the communications received from the debugger application to a format compatible with the non-network communications adapter of the redirection device and the non-network communications adapter of the target computer,

copy the converted communications from the debugger application to the non-network communications adapter of the redirection device, and

transmit the converted communications from the non-network communications adapter of the redirection device to the non-network communications adapter of the target computer; and

the host computer comprising a network adapter coupled to the network, the host computer operative to execute the debugger application for communicating with the debugger module via the redirection device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computer is further operative to receive the compressed video output and to display the video output.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the debugger application is further operative to identify an error within the BIOS executing on the target computer and transmit debugging commands to the debugger module and wherein the debugger module is further operative to receive and respond to the debugging commands, the debugging commands including a first command to upload a new version of the BIOS and a second command to program the new version of the BIOS into a non-volatile storage area of the target computer storing the BIOS.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computer is further operative to receive user input commands directed toward the target computer and to transmit the user input commands to the redirection device, and wherein the redirection device is further operative to receive the user input commands and to provide the user input commands to the target computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the debugger module is further operative to transmit debugging data to the debugger application via the redirection device.