Method and system for remote software debugging

• US 8,898,638 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Righi, Stefano, Mills, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thatcher, Clint A
• Application Number:
  US13/240,253
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124
• US Class Current: 717/124
• 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 operative to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS), the BIOS comprising a debugger module operative for receiving and responding to debugging commands from a host computer; and

a redirection device internal to the target computer and coupled to the target computer by way of a non-network communications adapter and by way of an internal connection to a video output circuit, and connected to a network, the redirection device operative to;

receive video output from the target computer,

transmit the video output to the host computer,

receive the debugging commands from a debugger application executing on the host computer, and

transmit the debugging commands to the debugger module of the target computer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the host computer executing the debugger application, the host computer operative to receive the video output from the redirection device and display the video output.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the debugger application is operative to identify an error within the BIOS executing on the target computer and transmit the debugging commands to the debugger module.

4. The system of claim 2, 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 redirection device is further operative to receive debugging data from the debugger module of the target computer and transmit debugging data to the debugger application executing on the host computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the video output comprises a screen display provided by the BIOS.

7. A method for remote software debugging, the method comprising:

receiving, at a redirection device internal to a target computer, video output from the target computer through an internal connection to a video output circuit of the target computer;

transmitting, from the redirection device, the video output to a host computer;

receiving, at the redirection device, debugging commands from a debugger application executing on the host computer; and

transmitting, from the redirection device, the debugging commands to a debugger module of the target computer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the debugging commands comprise a first command to upload a new version of a basic input/output system (BIOS) executing on the target computer 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.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the video output comprises a screen display provided by the BIOS.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at the host computer, the video output from the redirection device; and

displaying, at the host computer, the video output.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying, at the debugger application, an error within a basic input/output system (BIOS) executing on the target computer; and

transmitting, from the debugger application, the debugging commands to the debugger module.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at the host computer, user input commands directed toward the target computer;

transmitting the user input commands from the host computer to the redirection device;

receiving the user input commands at the redirection device; and

providing the user input commands from the redirection device to the target computer.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting, from the debugger module of the target computer, debugging data to the debugger application via the redirection device.

14. 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 comprising a debugger module operative for communication with a host computer via the non-network communications adapter; and

a redirection device internal to the target computer and coupled to the non-network communications adapter of the target computer, a video output circuit of the target computer by way of an internal connection, and to a network, the redirection device comprising 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,

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.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising the host computer executing the debugger application, the host computer operative to receive the video output from the redirection device and display the video output.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the debugger application is operative to identify an error within the BIOS executing on the target computer and transmit the debugging commands to the debugger module.

17. The system of claim 15, 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.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the debugger module of the target computer is operative to transmit debugging data to the debugger application via the redirection device.