Diagnostic Workflow for Automated Production Debugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional software diagnostic tools are inefficient in providing historical context during live debugging and are time-consuming when used on process dump files or log files, often requiring user interaction and causing performance impacts in production environments.
Innovation Solution
A diagnostic tool that performs conditional or unconditional breakpoint processing and exception processing without user interaction, using a diagnostic workflow file to control debugger operations automatically, allowing for non-stop debugging in production environments by dynamically inserting instructions into a running application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If live debugging is performed on a running process, then diagnostic information is obtained in real-time, but process performance is impacted and the process must be stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the process state (process snapshot) that can be analyzed separately from the running process. This allows diagnostic operations to be performed on the copy without impacting the original process execution, resolving the contradiction between obtaining real-time diagnostic information and maintaining process productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent takes preliminary actions by capturing process state snapshots before analyzing diagnostic information. This allows the process to continue running while diagnostic data is collected and prepared for later analysis, eliminating the need to stop the process during debugging.
2Loss of information
If process dump files or log files are analyzed, then historical context is obtained, but debugging becomes time-consuming and iterative
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates process snapshot copies that contain historical state information, allowing analysts to examine past process states without repeatedly accessing and analyzing dump files or log files. This reduces the iterative debugging time while preserving historical context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically captures and stores process state snapshots during execution, making historical diagnostic information readily available without requiring manual collection of dump files or logs later. This self-service approach eliminates time-consuming file analysis.
3Ease of operation
If traditional diagnostic tools are used on live processes, then real-time debugging is possible, but user interaction is required and performance is impacted
Solution Approach 1:
By working with process snapshot copies rather than live processes, the system enables automated diagnostic operations without impacting the running process. This resolves the contradiction between ease of automated operation and maintaining process execution productivity.
4Measurement precision
If breakpoints and exceptions are processed in live debugging, then diagnostic information is captured, but the process must be stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent processes breakpoints and exceptions in copied process snapshots rather than in the live process. This maintains diagnostic accuracy by allowing detailed analysis of process state at specific points, while avoiding the need to stop the actual running process, thus preserving productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A diagnostic workflow file can be used to control the future diagnostic actions taken by a debugger without user interaction with the debugger when it executes. The diagnostic workflow file is used by a debugger during a debug session. The debugger performs the actions directed by the diagnostic workflow file to simulate an interactive live debug session. The diagnostic workflow file can include conditional diagnostic operations whose execution depends on the state of program variables, diagnostic variables and diagnostic primitives in the debug session.