Packet Dump Utility for Mobile App Troubleshooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current enterprise application troubleshooting methods are inefficient due to insufficient application-level logging, which makes it difficult for support teams to debug issues, especially when problems are sporadic and not reproducible, leading to delays in resolving user-reported problems.
Innovation Solution
A packet dump utility is integrated into the enterprise application, allowing users to collect and store network packets in PCAP format during issue occurrences, which can then be transmitted to a back-end server for troubleshooting, enabling context-specific data collection and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If application-level logging is used for troubleshooting, then the troubleshooting process can be initiated, but the logging is insufficient to help debug a wide range of issues, especially sporadic and non-reproducible problems
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically capturing and storing network packets, device state information, and application logs in real-time before issues occur. This preliminary data collection ensures that when a sporadic or non-reproducible issue arises, the relevant information is already captured and stored, eliminating the need for users to manually reproduce the issue during debugging sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary automated troubleshooting system that acts as a mediator between the user device and support engineers. This intermediary continuously monitors and captures relevant data, then transmits it to support teams, eliminating the need for live debug sessions and improving the reliability of debugging for sporadic issues.
2Loss of information
If live debug sessions are conducted to understand issues, then support teams can gather information, but this causes additional delay and requires users to reproduce issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection by continuously capturing network packets, device state, and application logs in real-time before support sessions are initiated. This preliminary action ensures that all necessary information is already captured and stored, eliminating the time-consuming process of requiring users to reproduce issues during live debug sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service troubleshooting by automatically capturing, storing, and transmitting relevant issue information without requiring user intervention or live debug sessions. The automated collection and transmission of data enables support teams to analyze issues independently, significantly reducing troubleshooting time and eliminating the need for users to reproduce problems.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive packet capture is implemented, then detailed network data can be collected for analysis, but this increases device resource consumption and storage requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by capturing and storing only the specific network packets and data relevant to troubleshooting particular issues, rather than indiscriminately capturing all network traffic. This selective data collection approach reduces the volume of data stored and processed, thereby lowering device energy consumption and storage requirements while still providing sufficient information for effective troubleshooting.
4Measurement precision
If real-time packet collection is performed, then relevant data is captured during issue events, but this increases processing load on the user device
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by setting up packet capture filters and data collection parameters in advance, before actual troubleshooting is needed. This preliminary configuration allows the system to efficiently capture only relevant packets during issue events without performing complex real-time analysis, thereby maintaining high measurement precision while minimizing processing load on the user device.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods include providing functionality for a user device while operating in background on the user device; responsive to a user request, starting collection of packets intercepted by the enterprise application; storing the collected packets on the user device; receiving a selection from the user of an issue type of a plurality of issue types for an issue; and providing the issue type and the collected packets for debugging of the issue type. The systems and methods can further include transmitting the collected data and the collected packets to a back end server for troubleshooting of the issue.