System and method for troubleshooting software configuration problems using application tracing

• US 8,762,958 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Israel Ltd. (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Identify Software Limited (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Golender, Valery, Moshe, Ido Ben, Wygodny, Shlomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US12/135,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-125, 717/128, 717/174, 717/109, 717/175, 717/169, 717/176, 717/127, 717/158, 717/136, 717/162, 717/131, 714/38, 714/37, 714/4.1, 714/45, 714/38.12, 714/46, 714/38.11, 714/733, 709/224, 709/227, 709/219, 709/203, 719/331, 715/513, 702/186
• US Class Current: 717/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A software system is disclosed which facilitates the process of tracing the execution paths of a program, called a client or application. Trace data corresponding to selected system resources that interact with the execution of the application is collected during the tracing operation and stored in an application signature. A computer system user can generate trace options, trace the application, and compare the application signature to a known software configuration. The application signature is compared to a reference signature created by tracing the execution of the application on a system with the known software configuration. In another embodiment, the application signature is compared to a static configuration of a reference computer.

Claims

1. A system for troubleshooting a configuration problem of an application, the application including at least an executable code representation, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions configured to implement;

a first code module that attaches to a first memory image of the application, the first code module configured to trace a first execution of the application, the application using a first software configuration that is properly functioning, and to store data reflecting the first execution in a first application signature, the first application signature containing first data representing properties of first system resources that interact with the application during the first execution;

a second code module that attaches to a second memory image of the application, the second code module configured to trace a second execution of the application using a second software configuration that is malfunctioning and to store data reflecting the second execution in a second application signature, the second application signature containing second data representing properties of second system resources that interact with the application during the second execution; and

a third code module configured to correlate the first application signature to the second application signature,

the third code module configured to provide a display of the first system resources and the second system resources that have been correlated to a computer system display screen to help a computer system user identify a reason for the malfunction,

the third code module being configured to assign a priority to each of a plurality of combinations of object states of the first data of the first application signature and object states of the second data of the second application signature based on an importance of a respective combination for identifying a root-cause of the malfunction, the priority indicating a level of likelihood in determining a reason for the malfunction.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fourth code module configured to select the properties of the first system resources and the second system resources to be traced by the first code module and the second code module.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second code module is configured to execute separately from the first, third and fourth code modules, the system thereby enabling remote evaluation of the second software configuration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the third code module is further configured to translate the first application signature and the second application signature into a human-readable form and to display a comparison of the translated trace information on the computer system display screen.

5. A computer-implemented method for troubleshooting a configuration problem of an application, the application including at least an executable code representation, the method comprising:

attaching a first code module to a first memory image of the application, the first code module configured to trace a first execution of the application, the application using a first software configuration that is properly functioning, the first code module configured to store data reflecting the first execution in a first application signature, the first application signature containing first data representing properties of first system resources that interact with the application during the first execution;

attaching a second code module to a second memory image of the application, the second code module configured to trace a second execution of the application using a second software configuration that is malfunctioning and to store data reflecting the second execution in a second application signature, the second application signature containing second data representing properties of second system resources that interact with the application during the second execution;

correlating, by a first code module, the first application signature to the second application signature; and

providing a display of the first system resources and the second system resources that have been correlated to a computer system display screen to help a computer system user identify a reason for the malfunction,

wherein a priority is assigned to each of a plurality of combinations of object states of the first data of the first application signature and object states of the second data of the second application signature based on an importance of a respective combination for identifying a root-cause of the malfunction, the priority indicating a level of likelihood in determining a reason for the malfunction.

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

selecting, by a fourth code module, the properties of the first system resources and the second system resources to be traced by the first code module and the second code module.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second code module is configured to execute separately from the first, third and fourth code modules, the method thereby enabling remote evaluation of the second software configuration.

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

translating, by the third code module, the first application signature and the second application signature into a human-readable form and to display a comparison of the translated trace information on the computer system display screen.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause at least one processor to troubleshoot a configuration problem of an application, the application including at least an executable code representation, the instructions comprising instructions to:

attach a first code module to a first memory image of the application, the first code module configured to trace a first execution of the application, the application using a first software configuration that is properly functioning, the first code module configured to store data reflecting the first execution in a first application signature, the first application signature containing first data representing properties of first system resources that interact with the application during the first execution;

attach a second code module to a second memory image of the application, the second code module configured to trace a second execution of the application using a second software configuration that is malfunctioning and to store data reflecting the second execution in a second application signature, the second application signature containing second data representing properties of second system resources that interact with the application during the second execution;

correlate, by a first code module, the first application signature to the second application signature; and

provide a display of the first system resources and the second system resources that have been correlated to a computer system display screen to help a computer system user identify a reason for the malfunction,

wherein a priority is assigned to each of a plurality of combinations of object states of the first data of the first application signature and object states of the second data of the second application signature based on an importance of a respective combination for identifying a root-cause of the malfunction, the priority indicating a level of likelihood in determining a reason for the malfunction.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting, by a fourth code module, the properties of the first system resources and the second system resources to be traced by the first code module and the second code module.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second code module is configured to execute separately from the first, third and fourth code modules, the method thereby enabling remote evaluation of the second software configuration.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

translating, by the third code module, the first application signature and the second application signature into a human-readable form and to display a comparison of the translated trace information on the computer system display screen.