Systems and methods for graphically filtering code call trees

• US 9,996,577 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Diep, Gia-Duong, Rustad, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Thanh-Ha
• Application Number:
  US14/619,897
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 707703
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method includes accessing a call tree for a transaction, wherein the call tree traces routines called during execution of the transaction. The method further includes generating a graphical representation of the call tree in relation to two or more performance properties. In addition, the method includes causing the graphical representation of the call tree to be displayed. Further, the method includes allowing a user to graphically select a group of routines from the graphical representation of the call tree. In addition, the method includes creating a filtered call tree comprising the graphically selected group of routines. Furthermore, the method includes generating a drill-down visualization of the filtered call tree. The method also includes causing the drill-down visualization to be displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computer system:

accessing a code call tree for an end-user transaction, wherein the code call tree traces routines called during execution of the end-user transaction, wherein each node in the code call tree corresponds to a particular routine of a software application;

generating a graphical representation of the code call tree in relation to two or more performance properties;

causing the graphical representation of the code call tree to be displayed;

allowing a user to graphically select a group of routines from the graphical representation of the code call tree;

creating a filtered code call tree comprising the graphically selected group of routines;

generating a drill-down visualization of the filtered code call tree;

wherein the drill-down visualization comprises a heat map of the filtered code call tree, the heat map graphically indicating a number of calls to each routine of the filtered code call tree; and

causing the drill-down visualization to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises a plot of the routines of the code call tree in relation to the two or more performance properties.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating of the filtered code call tree comprises automatically identifying one or more additional routines based, at least in part, on an analysis of the code call tree, the filtered code call tree comprising the one or more additional routines.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more additional routines comprise routines that, in the code call tree, are immediate parents of one or more of the graphically selected group of routines.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more additional routines comprise routines that, in the code call tree, are immediate children of one or more of the graphically selected group of routines.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

allowing the user to graphically select a subsequent group of routines from the drill-down visualization;

creating a subsequent filtered code call tree comprising the graphically selected subsequent group of routines;

creating a subsequent drill-down visualization of the subsequent filtered code call tree; and

causing the subsequent drill-down visualization to be displayed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the subsequent drill-down visualization comprises a histogram of routine call counts.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more performance properties comprise, for each routine of the routines:

a point on a transaction timeline at which the routine was called;

information related to an execution time of the routine; and

information related to a property of the routine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information related to an execution time of the routine comprises an exclusive execution time of the routine.

10. An information handling system comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the processor is operable to implement a method comprising;

accessing a code call tree for an end-user transaction, wherein the code call tree traces routines called during execution of the end-user transaction, wherein each node in the code call tree corresponds to a particular routine of a software application;

generating a graphical representation of the code call tree in relation to two or more performance properties;

causing the graphical representation of the code call tree to be displayed;

allowing a user to graphically select a group of routines from the graphical representation of the code call tree;

creating a filtered code call tree comprising the graphically selected group of routines;

generating a drill-down visualization of the filtered code call tree;

wherein the drill-down visualization comprises a heat map of the filtered code call tree, the heat map graphically indicating a number of calls to each routine of the filtered code call tree; and

causing the drill-down visualization to be displayed.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the graphical representation comprises a plot of the routines of the code call tree in relation to the two or more performance properties.

12. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the creating of the filtered code call tree comprises automatically identifying one or more additional routines based, at least in part, on an analysis of the code call tree, the filtered code call tree comprising the one or more additional routines.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the one or more additional routines comprise routines that, in the code call tree, are immediate parents of one or more of the graphically selected group of routines.

14. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the one or more additional routines comprise routines that, in the code call tree, are immediate children of one or more of the graphically selected group of routines.

15. The information handling system of claim 10, the method comprising:

allowing the user to graphically select a subsequent group of routines from the drill-down visualization;

creating a subsequent filtered code call tree comprising the graphically selected subsequent group of routines;

creating a subsequent drill-down visualization of the subsequent filtered code call tree; and

causing the subsequent drill-down visualization to be displayed.

16. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the subsequent drill-down visualization comprises a histogram of routine call counts.

17. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the two or more performance properties comprise, for each routine of the routines:

a point on a transaction timeline at which the routine was called;

information related to an execution time of the routine; and

information related to a property of the routine.

18. The information handling system of claim 17, wherein the information related to an execution time of the routine comprises an exclusive execution time of the routine.

19. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

accessing a code call tree for an end-user transaction, wherein the code call tree traces routines called during execution of the end-user transaction, wherein each node in the code call tree corresponds to a particular routine of a software application;

generating a graphical representation of the code call tree in relation to two or more performance properties;

causing the graphical representation of the code call tree to be displayed;

allowing a user to graphically select a group of routines from the graphical representation of the code call tree;

creating a filtered code call tree comprising the graphically selected group of routines;

generating a drill-down visualization of the filtered code call tree;

wherein the drill-down visualization comprises a heat map of the filtered code call tree, the heat map graphically indicating a number of calls to each routine of the filtered code call tree; and

causing the drill-down visualization to be displayed.