Debugging Tool Log Adapter for Runtime Simulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Debugging software applications is challenging due to the difficulty in reproducing issues in customer environments, especially with massive log data, where developers struggle to find the root cause without replicating the customer's environment.
Innovation Solution
A log adapter is integrated into a debug tool to format log messages and associate them with source code, generating a log map, variable cross-reference table, and method call stack tree, allowing developers to simulate the customer's environment and compare execution paths and variables, thereby identifying differences that lead to the root cause.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If developers analyze massive log data to find root causes, then debugging capability is improved, but time consumption and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments massive log data into structured log blocks associated with specific source code segments. Each log block contains contextual information organized by source code location, making it easier to navigate and analyze specific problem areas without examining the entire log dataset.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simulated customer environment that replicates the production system's behavior. By copying the runtime execution context and associating logs with corresponding source code in this simulated environment, developers can reproduce and analyze issues without accessing the actual customer system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If developers reproduce customer environment locally, then issue replication capability is improved, but system complexity and resource requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a debug tool as an intermediary between the customer's production environment and the developer's local system. This tool collects logs from the customer environment, structures them with source code associations, and presents them in a simplified format that doesn't require replicating the entire production system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of copying the entire customer environment, the patent copies only the essential execution context information contained in logs and associates it with source code. This selective copying reduces complexity while maintaining the ability to reproduce and analyze issues.
3Measurement precision
If developers manually correlate logs with source code, then execution path analysis is improved, but productivity and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically associating logs with source code segments before the developer begins analysis. The system pre-processes log data, identifies relevant source code locations, and organizes logs into structured blocks, eliminating the need for manual correlation during the debugging process.
Solution Approach 2:
The debug tool performs self-service by automatically correlating logs with source code using embedded metadata and context information. The system autonomously identifies execution paths and organizes log blocks without requiring developer intervention, significantly improving debugging efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
In an approach for debugging and simulating application runtime execution, a processor loads source code and logs into a debug tool. A processor generates log debug information including a log map, a log variable cross reference table, and a method call stack tree. A processor determines a plurality of log blocks based on log context in the logs and the method call stack tree. A processor maps the source code to the logs for each log block. A processor suggests a starting point and a breakpoint based on the log variable cross reference table and the log blocks. A processor compares a source code variable value to a log variable value and a source code execution path to a log execution path based on the mapping set between the source code and the logs. A processor simulates the source code variable value with the log variable value.