Core Dump Analysis System for Root Cause Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current root cause analysis methods for software crashes, particularly in complex enterprise software, are hindered by the complexity of core dumps and reliance on specific hardware architectures, making it difficult to identify the root cause of issues like deadlocks and infinite loops.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that analyzes core dump files by identifying unique source code lines across multiple threads, determining conspicuous source code lines based on an abstraction level, and adjusting this level for improved analysis, providing a reduced data set for developers to focus on, independent of hardware architecture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If core dumps are analyzed manually by software developers, then detailed diagnostic information can be examined, but the analysis process becomes time-consuming and complex due to the volume of data and lack of human-readable formatting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated analysis system that acts as an intermediary between the core dump data and the software developer. This system includes a parser that converts binary core dump files into human-readable formats, and an analysis engine that automatically identifies conspicuous source code lines and generates diagnostic reports, thereby reducing both the time and complexity of manual analysis while maintaining high accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of core dump analysis with an automated computational system. The analysis engine uses algorithms to automatically parse core dump files, identify relevant source code lines, and generate diagnostic information, substituting the manual cognitive and physical work of developers with automated mechanical processing
2Reliability
If all source code lines in core dumps are examined to ensure complete coverage, then no root cause is missed, but the data volume to be analyzed becomes overwhelming and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the most relevant information from core dump files by identifying and highlighting conspicuous source code lines. The analysis engine filters out unnecessary data and focuses on lines that are most likely to contain the root cause, such as lines with exceptions, errors, or unusual patterns, thereby maintaining high reliability while reducing data processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different analysis priorities and methods to different parts of the core dump data. Instead of treating all source code lines uniformly, the system identifies and prioritizes specific regions or lines that are more likely to contain root causes, applying enhanced analysis to these critical areas while using lighter processing for less important sections
3Loss of information
If core dump analysis is performed on complex multi-threaded enterprise software, then comprehensive diagnostic information is obtained, but the analysis becomes more difficult due to the number of threads and interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex multi-threaded analysis problem into manageable parts by analyzing each thread separately and then integrating the results. The system parses individual thread states, identifies conspicuous lines within each thread, and combines the findings to provide comprehensive diagnostic information, thereby reducing analysis difficulty while maintaining completeness
Data Source
AI summary
A method for facilitating root cause analysis of a software crash by core dump analysis is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a core dump file relating to a software program, identifying unique source code lines in the core dump file for each running thread at the crash time, and determining unique source code lines as conspicuous source code lines depending on an abstraction level value indicating a number of occurrences of the conspicuous source code line in different threads. Furthermore, the method comprises determining an abstraction ratio as a function of a number of conspicuous source code lines and a number of unique source code lines, evaluating whether the predefined abstraction level value has to be adjusted by determining unique source code line as a conspicuous source code line and determining an abstraction ratio, and outputting the conspicuous source code lines and an assessment value for the abstraction ratio.