Optimized generation of data for software problem analysis

• US 9,965,348 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reichart, Markus, Schaefer, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHU, GABRIEL L
• Application Number:
  US14/538,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

A computer optimizes the prospective generation of data used for analysis of a software problem. The computer generates data in accordance with data generation parameters and a software problem is analyzed with reference to the data so generated. The problem analysis produces a report that details specifics of the software problem, the data that was available for analysis, a flag to indicate success or failure of the analysis to identify a root cause, and information about whether the data supplied was insufficient, sufficient, or superfluous with respect to identifying a root cause of the software problem. The method then uses the analysis report to modify the data generation parameters, thereby iteratively optimizing the data that are generated for analysis of subsequent software problems.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable tangible storage media; and

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage media, the program instructions comprising computer code for causing a processor(s) set to perform at least the following operations;

receiving, from an analysis repository, a plurality of analysis reports including a first analysis report, where the first analysis report includes log data collected with respect to a computer system error where the log data is generated in accordance with a data generation parameter,

receiving a set of data collection optimizing goals, including a first data collection optimizing goal,

determining, based at least in part on information in the plurality of analysis reports, that the first optimizing goal has not been met, and

in response to determining that the first optimizing goal has not been met, modifying the data generation parameter in accordance with a first data collection optimizing rule;

wherein the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that a software patch is to be installed.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the first data collection optimizing goal specifies a threshold minimum failure analysis success rate.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that on a first day of the week, data collection of a first data type will be conducted at a first level of detail.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that on a second day of the week, data collection of a first data type will be conducted at a second level of detail.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a second data collection optimizing rule specifies that the software patch is to be uninstalled.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that user input should be logged; and

in response to determining that the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that user input should be logged, enabling collection of user input.

7. A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising instructions to perform at least the following operations;

receiving, from an analysis repository, a plurality of analysis reports including a first analysis report, where the first analysis report includes log data collected with respect to a computer system error where the log data is generated in accordance with a data generation parameter,

receiving a set of data collection optimizing goals, including a first data collection optimizing goal,

determining, based at least in part on information in the plurality of analysis reports, that the first optimizing goal has not been met, and

in response to determining that the first optimizing goal has not been met, modifying the data generation parameter in accordance with a first data collection optimizing rule;

wherein the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that a software patch is to be installed.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the first data collection optimizing goal specifies a threshold minimum failure analysis success rate.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that on a first day of the week, data collection of a first data type will be conducted at a first level of detail.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that on a second day of the week, data collection of a first data type will be conducted at a second level of detail.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein a second data collection optimizing rule specifies that the software patch is to be uninstalled.

12. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that user input should be logged; and

in response to determining that the first data collection optimizing rule specifies that user input should be logged, enabling collection of user input.