Branch Trace Compression via Hash Fingerprinting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Saving entire stack traces or branch traces in log messages is inefficient due to brevity loss and high memory and execution costs, making them impractical for debugging and diagnostics.
Innovation Solution
Generating metadata files for possible stack and branch traces, updating run-time trace values using mathematical operations, and matching these values to compress and represent the calling context efficiently, allowing for concise logging without performance sacrifices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If entire stack traces or branch traces are saved in log messages, then debugging information is complete and detailed, but log message brevity is lost and memory and execution costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying information from stack traces and branch traces, rather than saving the entire trace data. It uses hash functions to compute compact representations (fingerprints) of the trace data, extracting only the critical debugging information while discarding redundant details. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining debugging information completeness through hash-based identification while dramatically improving logging efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the stack trace and branch trace data from its original detailed form into a compressed parameter representation using hash functions. By changing the parameter representation from full trace data to compact hash values, the system maintains the ability to identify and debug issues while significantly reducing memory usage and execution overhead. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction between information completeness and logging efficiency.
2Loss of information
If entire stack traces or branch traces are saved in log messages, then calling context is fully captured, but memory usage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying features of calling context from complete stack traces and branch traces. By using hash functions to compute compact representations of the trace data, it extracts the critical context information needed for debugging while removing redundant data. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining calling context accuracy through hash-based identification while dramatically reducing memory consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates compact hash-based copies of the stack trace and branch trace data rather than storing the original detailed traces. These hash copies serve as efficient proxies that maintain the essential calling context information while occupying minimal memory space. This copying approach resolves the contradiction between calling context accuracy and memory consumption by using space-efficient hash representations.
3Loss of information
If entire stack traces or branch traces are saved in log messages, then execution details are fully recorded, but execution speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential execution trace information needed for debugging by computing hash values from the complete traces. This extraction process captures the critical execution details while avoiding the overhead of storing and processing full trace data. The hash computation is performed efficiently during log generation, resolving the contradiction between execution trace completeness and logging operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs hash computation as a preliminary action during log message generation, before the actual logging operation. By pre-computing the compact trace representations and storing them in efficient data structures, the system minimizes the time required for logging operations. This preliminary action approach resolves the contradiction between execution trace completeness and logging operation time.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems generate a plurality of possible branch traces for a computer program. Each possible branch trace represents different sequences of branch instructions that may be executed while the computer program is running. Each branch instruction has a corresponding identifier. A branch trace value is generated for at least one of the plurality of possible branch traces. Generating the branch trace value includes performing a mathematical or logical operation between a first identifier and each subsequent identifier of the possible branch trace to obtain the branch trace value. An output including a branch trace is generated based upon a match between a run-time branch trace value and the at least one generated branch trace value.