Asynchrony debugging using web services interface

• US 8,239,839 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rossmann, Albert, Heidasch, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): wong, don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Marina
• Application Number:
  US11/963,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 717/125, 717/129
• US Class Current: 717/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3644 by instrumenting at runtime

Abstract

A system and method for debugging a running process of an application or component is disclosed. A debugging client has a user interface for receiving user commands to configure and control a debugging program. A debugging agent is resident in a local network area with the running process and has a direct connection with the running process. The debugging agent is configured to execute the debugging program to obtain debugging information on the running process, and to send the debugging information to the debugging client. A Web services communication link is established between the debugging client and the debugging agent for communicating signals to the debugging agent from the debugging client representing the user commands to configure and control the debugging program.

Claims

1. A system for debugging a running process of an application or component, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory comprising one or more programs that cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a user interface of a debugging client, user commands to configure and control a debugging program;

establishing communication between the debugging client and a debugging agent via a Web services communication link comprising a secure socket layer communication link, the communication link established between the debugging client and the debugging agent being asynchronous, and independent of a software platform used at the debugging client and the debugging agent;

causing authentication of the debugging client to the debugging agent via the secure socket layer communication link;

transferring, after authentication of the debugging client, signals from the debugging client to the debugging agent representing the user commands to configure and control the debugging program by a template-based debugging configuration, the template-based debugging configuration comprising hard and soft breakpoints to create debugging information on the running process;

receiving, from the debugging agent at the debugging client, the debugging information on the running process obtained by executing the debugging program, the debugging agent running locally to the running process and having a direct connection to the running process.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the Web services link is further adapted for communicating signals to the debugging client from the debugging agent representing the debugging information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the debugging client is further adapted to analyze the debugging information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the direct connection between the debugging agent and the running process includes a socket connection.

5. A method for debugging a running process of an application or component, the method comprising:

establishing a connection with the running process from a debugging client via a debugging agent, the connection including a communication link comprising a secure socket layer communication link between the debugging client and the debugging agent that employs Web services, the communication link established between the debugging client and the debugging agent being asynchronous, and independent of a software platform used at the debugging client and the debugging agent;

causing authentication of the debugging client to the debugging agent via the secure socket layer communication link;

transferring, after authentication of the debugging client, signals from the debugging client to the debugging agent user commands to configure and control a debugging program by a template-based debugging configuration, the template-based debugging configuration comprising hard and soft breakpoints to create debugging information on the running process; and

receiving from the debugging agent at the debugging client the debugging information on the running process obtained by executing the debugging program, the debugging agent running locally to the running process and having a direct connection to the running process.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining, via the debugging client, breakpoints in the running process.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising analyzing, with the debugging client, the debugging information.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a user interface of a debugging client, user commands to configure and control a debugging program;

establishing communications between the debugging client and a debugging agent via a Web services communication link comprising a secure socket layer communication link, the communication link established between the debugging client and the debugging agent being asynchronous, and independent of a software platform used at the debugging client and the debugging agent;

causing authentication of the debugging client to the debugging agent via the secure socket layer communication link;

transferring, after authentication of the debugging client, signals from the debugging client to the debugging agent representing the user commands to configure and control the debugging program by a template-based debugging configuration, the template-based debugging configuration comprising hard and soft breakpoints to create debugging information on a running process;

receiving from the debugging agent at the debugging client the debugging information on the running process obtained by executing the debugging program, the debugging agent running locally to the running process and having a direct connection to the running process.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the debugging agent is connected to the running process via direct socket connection.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the Web services communicates signals between the debugging client and the debugging agent through a firewall.