Collaborative software debugging in a distributed system with client-specific dynamic breakpoints
First Claim
1. A method of collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the debug server from the debug clients asynchronously during a debug session of the debuggee, a plurality of application-level messages, including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a request to establish a dynamic breakpoint at location in source code of the debuggee, the dynamic breakpoint enabled when the requesting debug client requests to execute the debuggee and disabled when other debug clients request to execute the debuggee, wherein the dynamic breakpoint is a breakpoint that is enabled when the debug client that established the breakpoint executes the debuggee and is disabled when another debug clients executes the debuggee;
routing, by the message router in accordance with an application-level message passing protocol, the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger to the debug clients with application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, sending to the back-end debugger a command to establish the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code of the debuggee, and sending to the debug administrator an instruction to register the dynamic breakpoint;
establishing, by the back-end debugger, the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code;
registering, by the debug administrator in a dynamic breakpoint register, the requesting debug client'"'"'s dynamic breakpoint; and
returning, by the debug server to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a distributed system that includes a debug server and debug clients coupled for data communications through a data communications network, where the debug server includes a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, collaborative software debugging includes receiving application-level messages, including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a request to establish a dynamic breakpoint at location in source code; routing the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger, sending to the debug administrator an instruction to register the dynamic breakpoint, and sending to the back-end debugger a command to establish the dynamic breakpoint; establishing the dynamic breakpoint; registering the requesting debug client'"'"'s dynamic breakpoint; and returning, by the debug server to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results.
127 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the method comprising:
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receiving, by the debug server from the debug clients asynchronously during a debug session of the debuggee, a plurality of application-level messages, including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a request to establish a dynamic breakpoint at location in source code of the debuggee, the dynamic breakpoint enabled when the requesting debug client requests to execute the debuggee and disabled when other debug clients request to execute the debuggee, wherein the dynamic breakpoint is a breakpoint that is enabled when the debug client that established the breakpoint executes the debuggee and is disabled when another debug clients executes the debuggee; routing, by the message router in accordance with an application-level message passing protocol, the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger to the debug clients with application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, sending to the back-end debugger a command to establish the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code of the debuggee, and sending to the debug administrator an instruction to register the dynamic breakpoint; establishing, by the back-end debugger, the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code; registering, by the debug administrator in a dynamic breakpoint register, the requesting debug client'"'"'s dynamic breakpoint; and returning, by the debug server to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
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receiving, by the debug server from the debug clients asynchronously during a debug session of the debuggee, a plurality of application-level messages, including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a request to establish a dynamic breakpoint at location in source code of the debuggee, the dynamic breakpoint enabled when the requesting debug client requests to execute the debuggee and disabled when other debug clients request to execute the debuggee, wherein the dynamic breakpoint is a breakpoint that is enabled when the debug client that established the breakpoint executes the debuggee and is disabled when another debug clients executes the debuggee; routing, by the message router in accordance with an application-level message passing protocol, the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger to the debug clients with application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, sending to the back-end debugger a command to establish the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code of the debuggee, and sending to the debug administrator an instruction to register the dynamic breakpoint; establishing, by the back-end debugger, the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code; registering, by the debug administrator in a dynamic breakpoint register, the requesting debug client'"'"'s dynamic breakpoint; and returning, by the debug server to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer program product for collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer processor of a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of:
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receiving, by the debug server from the debug clients asynchronously during a debug session of the debuggee, a plurality of application-level messages, including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a request to establish a dynamic breakpoint at location in source code of the debuggee, the dynamic breakpoint enabled when the requesting debug client requests to execute the debuggee and disabled when other debug clients request to execute the debuggee, wherein the dynamic breakpoint is a breakpoint that is enabled when the debug client that established the breakpoint executes the debuggee and is disabled when another debug clients executes the debuggee; routing, by the message router in accordance with an application-level message passing protocol, the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger to the debug clients with application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, sending to the back-end debugger a command to establish the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code of the debuggee, and sending to the debug administrator an instruction to register the dynamic breakpoint; establishing, by the back-end debugger, the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code; registering, by the debug administrator in a dynamic breakpoint register, the requesting debug client'"'"'s dynamic breakpoint; and returning, by the debug server to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the method comprising:
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presenting, by each debug client to a user of the debug client, a client-specific graphical user interface (‘
GUI’
), the client-specific GUI comprising a client-specific display of a debug session of the debuggee;detecting, by each debug client, user input through the client-specific GUI, including detecting, by a requesting debug client, user input specifying a location in source code of the debuggee at which to establish a dynamic breakpoint, the dynamic breakpoint enabled when the requesting debug client requests to execute the debuggee and disabled when other debug clients request to execute the debuggee; generating, by each debug client in dependence upon the detected user input, one or more application-level messages, including generating a request to establish the dynamic breakpoint at the location in source code of the debuggee, sending, by each debug client, the application-level messages to the debug server, including sending, by the requesting debug client to the debug server, the request to establish the dynamic breakpoint; receiving, by each debug client responsive to the application-level messages, client-specific debug results; and displaying, by each debug client in the client-specific GUI, the client-specific debug results. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification