SQL server debugging in a distributed database environment

• US 7,500,225 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Winn, Daniel Hunter, Bendixen, Mason, Khan, Azeemullah
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, RONGFA PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US10/775,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-129
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging

Abstract

A software architecture for debugging the execution of T-SQL and managed data-tier application logic associated with a single connection, in isolation from other connections, is provided. In the architecture, a database server hosts the data-tier application logic. A client connects to the database server and issues requests on the connection, which initiates the execution of the data-tier application logic. A debugger debugs a client process on the server. An application program interface (API) receives a request to initiate a debugging session from the debugger, and returns an interface pointer to the debugger, thereby enabling the debugger to debug the client connection to the server.

Claims

1. A software architecture comprising at least one computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for debugging a distributed database application process on a client connection, the software architecture comprising:

a server, wherein the server runs the distributed database application on a computer;

a client, wherein the client interacts with the distributed database application by way of the client connection; and

the client connection executes managed code hosted by the distributed database application;

a debugger, wherein the debugger debugs the distributed database application process, and

an application program interface (API), wherein the API receives a debugger request, via a call for a stored procedure from the debugger, to debug managed code, and causes the server to call a debugging component, and wherein the debugger debugs the managed code and wherein the API further detects a transition between Transact-Structured Query_Language (T-SQL) and managed code and calls a method to communicate the transition to the debugger.

2. The software architecture of claim 1, wherein the API receives a debugger request to debug managed code, causes the server to call a remote debugging component, and wherein the debugger debugs the managed code by way of the remote debugging component.

3. The software architecture of claim 1, wherein the debugger debugs the distributed application process according to the transition.

4. The software architecture of claim 1, wherein the debugger further comprises a user interface, wherein the user interface displays only the T-SQL activity within the server on the client connection being debugged.

5. The software architecture of claim 1, wherein the debugger further comprises a user interface, wherein said user interface displays only threads associated with the client connection.

6. The software architecture of claim 1, wherein the server detects an addition of a dynamic T-SQL frame to a user stack within the server and calls a method to pass text of the dynamic T-SQL frame to the debugger.

7. A method of communicating between a server process, a client process and a debugger process in a distributed database environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first call for a stored procedure from the debugger process to debug managed code;

returning an interface pointer to the debugger process responsive to the received first call;

receiving a second call for a register method from the debugger process, wherein the second call comprises a machine name, a process ID and an interface pointer;

detecting a client connection matching the machine name, process ID and interface pointer on the server process;

halting execution of the client connection on the server process responsive to said detection;

executing a third call, wherein the third call establishes operative communications between the debugger process and the client process;

debugging the client process via an application program interface(API), wherein the API detects a transition between Transact-Structured Query_Language (T-SQL) and managed code on the client connection; and

calling a method to communicate the transition to the debugger process.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third call uses the interface pointer received in the second call.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a request from the debugger process to debug managed code;

calling a remote debugging component; and

debugging the managed code by way of the remote debugging component.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising debugging the client connection according to the transition.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the server process is executing T-SQL code on the client connection and the debugger process is debugging the T-SQL code, and further comprising displaying, on a user interface, only the T-SQL code executed by the server process on the client connection being debugged.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the server process is executing managed code on the client connection and the debugger process is debugging the managed code, and further comprising displaying, on a user interface, only threads associated with the managed code being debugged.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting an addition of a dynamic T-SQL frame to a user stack within the server process and calling a method to pass text of the dynamic T-SQL frame to the debugger process, and wherein debugging the client process is by way of the text of the dynamic T-SQL frame.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of communicating between a server process, a client process and a debugger process in a distributed database environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first call from a computer for a stored procedure from the debugger process to debug managed code on a computer;

returning an interface pointer to the debugger process responsive to the received first call;

receiving a second call from a computer for a register method from the debugger process, wherein the second call comprises a machine name, a process ID and an interface pointer;

detecting a client connection matching the machine name, process ID and interface pointer on the server process;

halting execution of the client connection on the server process responsive to said detection;

executing a third call, wherein the third call establishes operative communications between the debugger process and the client process; and

debugging the client process via an application interface (API), wherein the API detects a transition between Transact-Structured Query_Language (T-SOL) and managed code on the client connection; and

calling a method to communicate the transition to the debugger process.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the third call uses the interface pointer received in the second call.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a request from the debugger process to debug managed code;

calling a remote debugging component; and

debugging the managed code by way of the remote debugging component.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises debugging the client connection according to the transition.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the server process is executing T-SQL code on the client connection and the debugger process is debugging the T-SQL code, and wherein the method further comprises displaying, on a user interface, only the T-SQL code executed by the server process on the client connection being debugged.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the server process is executing managed code on the client connection and the debugger process is debugging the managed code, and wherein the method further comprises displaying, on a user interface, only threads associated with the managed code being debugged.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises detecting an addition of a dynamic T-SQL frame to a user stack within the server process and calling a method to pass text of the dynamic T-SQL frame to the debugger process, and wherein debugging the client process is by way of the text of the dynamic T-SQL frame.

21. A method of initiating a debugging session between a debugger and a client connection on a server running a distributed database application, comprising:

specifying the client connection of managed code to be debugged by way of an API;

returning an interface pointer to the debugger by way of the API;

calling a register method, wherein the register method uses the interface pointer to detect the client connection associated with the interface pointer;

halting execution of the client connection;

enabling the debugger to debug the client connection by way of the server and the API wherein the API detects a transition between Transact-Structured Query_Language (T-SQL) and managed code on the client connection; and

calling a method to communicate the transition to the debugger.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising debugging the client connection.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising returning a machine name and process identifier to the debugger by way of the API.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting a security context of the client connection and performing said connecting step only if the security context matches a predetermined security context.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said calling step is by way of a distributed component object model (DCOM).

26. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of initiating a debugging session between a debugger and a client connection on a server running a distributed database application, the method comprising:

specifying the client connection having managed code to be debugged by way of an API loaded on a computer;

returning an interface pointer to the debugger by way of the API on the computer;

calling a register method, wherein the register method uses the interface pointer to detect the client connection associated with the interface pointer;

halting execution of the client connection; and

enabling the debugger to debug the client connection by way of the server and the API, wherein the API detects a transition between Transact-Structured Query_Language (T-SQL) and managed code on the client connection; and

calling a method to communicate the transition to the debugger process.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises debugging the client connection.