System and method for selecting instrumentation technique
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for identifying files accessed by applications in a computing environment are resource-intensive and inefficient, necessitating a more cost-effective method for monitoring a subset of processes.
Innovation Solution
A computing environment determines whether file systems allow modification of file access time (atime) and kernel updates, using this information to identify files accessed by an application, either through atime-based tracking or alternative methods like Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) when atime is not supported.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If all processes are monitored to identify files accessed by applications, then complete file access tracking is achieved, but computing resource consumption becomes prohibitively expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring task by dividing processes into two categories: instrumented processes (monitored) and non-instrumented processes (not monitored). This segmentation allows selective instrumentation of only those processes that need file access tracking, thereby reducing overall computing resource consumption while maintaining effective file access monitoring for targeted applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and monitors only the specific subset of processes that require file access tracking, rather than monitoring all processes. By extracting the monitoring function to apply only where needed, the system achieves complete file access tracking for instrumented processes while avoiding the prohibitive resource cost of universal monitoring.
2Measurement precision
If instrumentation is applied to all processes, then comprehensive file access identification is achieved, but system complexity and overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments instrumentation application to only those processes that require file access monitoring. By dividing the process space into instrumented and non-instrumented segments, the system maintains high file access identification accuracy for targeted processes while reducing overall system complexity and instrumentation overhead.
3Measurement precision
If file access time (atime) modification is enabled for monitoring, then file access tracking precision is improved, but compatibility with certain file systems and kernels is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation by detecting the file system type and kernel capabilities at runtime. Based on this detection, the system dynamically selects the appropriate instrumentation method: using atime modification for supported file systems/kernel combinations, and falling back to alternative methods for incompatible ones. This dynamic approach maintains file access tracking precision where possible while ensuring broad file system compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the instrumentation approach based on file system parameters and kernel capabilities. When atime modification is not supported or would cause issues, the system changes to alternative instrumentation parameters and methods, thereby maintaining adaptability across different file systems while preserving file access tracking precision through method selection.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing environment determines whether one or more file systems associated with an application allow for modification of a file access time of an associated file and whether a kernel updates, in at least one case, the file access time upon accessing the associated file. The associated file is at least one file managed by the one or more file systems. The computing environment determines files accessed by the application using a technique selected based on whether the one or more file systems allow for modification of the file access time or whether the kernel updates, in the at least one case, the file access time upon accessing the associated file. The computing environment provides an output representing the files accessed by the application.