Dynamic trace level control

• US 9,811,443 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Doi, Masashi, Ishimoto, Kenya, Naruse, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEBERT, THEODORE E
• Application Number:
  US15/141,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20170168915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 717128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software

Abstract

A method for adjusting a filtering mechanism within a trace logging system. The method may include receiving a plurality of messages from a software program, whereby each of the plurality of messages includes a message logging level. The method may also include storing the plurality of received messages in a buffer. The method may further include determining an error has occurred within the software program. The method may also include identifying each of the plurality of stored messages that aid in debugging the determined error. The method may further include updating an alert status configuration based on the message logging level associated with each of the plurality of identified messages.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for adjusting a filtering mechanism within a trace logging system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a plurality of messages from a software program, wherein each of the plurality of messages includes a message logging level;

storing the plurality of received messages in a buffer;

storing a set of the plurality of received messages in a trace log within a database based on the message logging level associated with each of the plurality of received messages;

determining that an error has occurred within the software program;

identifying a plurality of the stored messages in the buffer that aid in debugging the determined error;

comparing the plurality of identified messages in the buffer that aid in debugging the determined error with the stored set of the plurality of received messages in the trace log;

determining that less than all of the plurality of identified messages in the buffer are stored within the trace log based on the comparing the plurality of identified messages in the buffer with the stored set of the plurality of received messages in the trace log;

updating an alert status configuration based on the message logging level associated with each of the plurality of identified messages in the buffer;

receiving a plurality of subsequent messages from the software program, wherein each of the plurality of subsequent messages includes a message logging level; and

recording a set of the plurality of received subsequent messages in the trace log by comparing a sum of the updated alert status configuration and a trace configuration level to the message logging level of each of the plurality of received subsequent messages.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a second set of the plurality of received messages in the trace log based on the updated alert status configuration, a trace configuration level, and the message logging level of each of the plurality of received messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received plurality of messages includes at least one of a message scope, a timestamp, a plurality of message text, and a program status associated with the software program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer is a first-in-first-out buffer that temporarily stores each of the plurality of received messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the alert status configuration further comprises:

increasing the alert status configuration for a preconfigured time period; and

reducing the alert status configuration upon an expiration of the preconfigured time period using an alert reducer.