Collaborative software debugging in a distributed system with collaborative step over operation

• US 9,009,673 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHEATON, BRADFORD F
• Application Number:
  US12/908,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 717/125
• US Class Current: 717/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs

Abstract

In a distributed system that includes a debug server and debug clients coupled for data communications through a data communications network, where the debug server includes a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, collaborative software debugging includes receiving application-level messages including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a step over command that includes an instruction to ignore, during the step over command, events established by the requesting debug client; routing the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger and routing the step over command to the back-end debugger; performing the step over command, including ignoring the events established by the requesting debug client and processing any other events; and returning, to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results.

Claims

1. A method of collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the method comprising:

receiving, by the debug server from the debug clients asynchronously during a debug session of the debuggee, a plurality of application-level messages, including receiving, from a requesting debug client, a step over command, the step over command further comprising an instruction to ignore, during performance of the step over command, one or more events established by the requesting debug client, wherein receiving the step over command includes;

receiving an identification of each of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, the identification including a group identifier uniquely identifying a group of debug clients, wherein the one or more events are ignored during the performance of the identified group of debug clients and

receiving a specification of one or more breakpoints originally established by the requesting debug client;

routing, by the message router in accordance with an application-level message passing protocol, the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger to the debug clients with application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger and routing the step over command to the back-end debugger;

performing, by the back-end debugger, the step over command, including ignoring the one or more events established by the requesting debug client and processing any other events encountered during performance of the step over command including performing, during execution of the step over command, events established by the other debug clients; and

returning, by the debug server to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the step over command further comprises receiving as an identification of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, a client identifier uniquely identifying the requesting debug client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the step over command further comprises receiving as an identification of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, an event group identifier uniquely identifying a group of established event notifications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein ignoring the one or more events established by the requesting debug client includes skipping the one or more events established by the requesting debug client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein ignoring the one or more events established by the requesting debug client includes disabling the one or more events established by the requesting debug client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification includes all breakpoints originally established by the requesting debug client.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification is generated without user selection.

4. A method of collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the method comprising:

presenting, by each debug client to a user of the debug client, a client-specific graphical user interface (GUI), the client-specific GUI comprising a client-specific display of a debug session of the debuggee;

detecting, by each debug client, user input through the client-specific GUI, including detecting, by a requesting debug client, user input specifying a step over command and one or more events, established by the requesting debug client, to ignore during performance of the step over command including an identification of each of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, the identification including a group identifier uniquely identifying a group of debug clients, wherein the one or more events are ignored during the performance of the identified group of debug clients;

generating, by each debug client in dependence upon the detected user input, one or more application-level messages, including generating a request to perform the step over command, the request including an instruction to ignore, during performance of the step over command, the one or more events established by the requesting debug client, the instruction to ignore including a specification of one or more breakpoints originally established by the requesting debug client;

sending, by each debug client, the application-level messages to the debug server, including sending the request to the debug server;

receiving, by each debug client responsive to the application-level messages, client-specific debug results, including receiving debug results of the performance of the step over command and receiving results of at least one other event encountered during performance of the step over command; and

displaying, by each debug client in the client-specific GUI, the client-specific debug results.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein detecting user input specifying a step over command and one or more events, established by the requesting debug client, to ignore during performance of the step over command further comprises detecting user input specifying, as an identification of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, a client identifier uniquely identifying the requesting debug client.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein detecting user input specifying a step over command and one or more events, established by the requesting debug client, to ignore during performance of the step over command further comprises detecting user input specifying, as an identification of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, an event group identifier uniquely identifying a group of established event notifications.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction to ignore includes an instruction to skip and not perform.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction to ignore includes an instruction to disable and not perform.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the specification includes all breakpoints originally established by the requesting debug client.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the specification is generated without user selection.

7. An apparatus for collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

presenting, by each debug client to a user of the debug client, a client-specific graphical user interface (GUI), the client-specific GUI comprising a client-specific display of a debug session of the debuggee;

detecting, by each debug client, user input through the client-specific GUI, including detecting, by a requesting debug client, user input specifying a step over command and one or more events, established by the requesting debug client, to ignore during performance of the step over command including an identification of each of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, the identification including a group identifier uniquely identifying a group of debug clients, wherein the one or more events are ignored during the performance of the identified group of debug clients;

generating, by each debug client in dependence upon the detected user input, one or more application-level messages, including generating a request to perform the step over command, the request including an instruction to ignore, during performance of the step over command, the one or more events established by the requesting debug client, the instruction to ignore including a specification of one or more breakpoints originally established by the requesting debug client;

sending, by each debug client, the application-level messages to the debug server, including sending the request to the debug server;

receiving, by each debug client responsive to the application-level messages, client-specific debug results, including receiving debug results of the performance of the step over command and receiving results of at least one other event encountered during performance of the step over command; and

displaying, by each debug client in the client-specific GUI, the client-specific debug results.

8. A computer program product for collaborative software debugging in a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a debug server, a plurality of debug clients, and a data communications network, the debug server coupled for data communications to the plurality of debug clients through the data communications network, the debug server comprising a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer processor of a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of:

detecting, by each debug client, user input through a client-specific graphical user

interface (GUI), the client-specific GUI, including detecting, by a requesting debug client, user input specifying a step over command and one or more events, established by the requesting debug client, to ignore during performance of the step over command including an identification of each of the one or more events to ignore during the performance of the step over command, the identification including a group identifier uniquely identifying a group of debug clients, wherein the one or more events are ignored during the performance of the identified group of debug clients;

generating, by each debug client in dependence upon the detected user input, one or more application-level messages, including generating a request to perform the step over command, the request including an instruction to ignore, during performance of the step over command, the one or more events established by the requesting debug client, the instruction to ignore including a specification of one or more breakpoints originally established by the requesting debug client;

sending, by each debug client, the application-level messages to the debug server, including sending the request to the debug server;

receiving, by each debug client responsive to the application-level messages, client-specific debug results, including receiving debug results of the performance of the step over command and receiving results of at least one other event encountered during performance of the step over command; and

displaying, by each debug client in the client-specific GUI, the client-specific debug results.