Statistical Debugging via Labeled Execution Paths

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current debugging methods are inefficient and error-prone, requiring manual guesswork to isolate software bugs, as they rely on stack traces and register values, lacking precision and context in identifying the root cause of program crashes.

Innovation Solution

A method using labeled application paths to collect and analyze execution data, employing statistical techniques to pinpoint error-causing paths, which provides more context and precision in bug isolation, and can be integrated with existing profile-guided performance optimization without additional instrumentation or changes to the software build process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual debugging using stack traces and register values is used, then debugging can be performed with minimal overhead, but debugging efficiency and accuracy deteriorate due to tedious guesswork and lack of context

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebugging efficiencyVSAvoiddebugging process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary profiling during program execution to collect execution path data before debugging begins. This pre-collected data includes path frequencies and error associations, which are then used to guide the debugging process, eliminating the need for manual guesswork and significantly improving debugging efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary profiling system that acts as a mediator between the program execution and the debugging process. This intermediary collects and analyzes execution path data, providing structured information that bridges the gap between raw program state and meaningful debugging insights

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive execution path profiling is performed to improve bug isolation precision, then measurement precision improves, but overhead in error-free executions increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebug isolation precisionVSAvoidexecution overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs partial profiling by focusing only on relevant execution paths rather than comprehensively profiling all possible paths. The profiling effort is adapted based on the specific debugging needs and error information, collecting sufficient data for accurate bug isolation without unnecessarily profiling all execution paths, thus reducing overhead in error-free executions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The debugging system uses feedback from error reports and execution data to adaptively refine which paths to profile. By analyzing error patterns and focusing subsequent profiling efforts on relevant paths, the system achieves high measurement precision while minimizing overhead by avoiding profiling of unrelated execution paths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If detailed path analysis with labels is implemented to provide more context, then information completeness improves, but device complexity increases due to additional instrumentation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebugging context informationVSAvoidinstrumentation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal labeling scheme that serves multiple functions: identifying execution paths, associating errors with paths, and providing contextual information. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate instrumentation mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive information capture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the collection of execution path data and error information into a unified analysis framework. By combining path profiling with error reporting mechanisms and integrating the analysis of both data types together, the system reduces complexity that would arise from maintaining separate systems for collecting and analyzing different types of debugging information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8065565B2Statistical debugging using paths and adaptive profiling

Publication Date: 2011.11.22 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

The method executes the application and if there are no errors from the execution of the application, the method ends. If errors exist, the errors are collected from the execution of the application in an error report. Labeled application paths are created by adding a unique label to individual application paths where the application paths are individual loops and individual functions in the application. An analysis is created of the labeled application paths by executing the application with the labeled paths, reviewing the error report for data related to the labels and if an error is sufficiently related to application paths with labels, storing the path that created the errors in a report. If an error is not sufficient related to the application path with labels, the method is repeated by the creating the analysis again by substituting additional application paths for the application paths.