Analyzing contention data and following resource blockers to find root causes of computer problems

A processing system for analyzing contention data and following resource blockers to find root causes of computer problems, comprising:

• a processor;
• a communication network configured to communicate with one or more processes running on the processing system, and connect one or more computer systems of a collaborative distributed computer system;
• a graphical user interface configured to display a process of finding root causes of the computer problems, and one or more intermediate results;
• and
• a memory storing an operating system and a root cause analysis module having computer executable instructions, when executed at the processor of the processing system, the computer executable instructions cause the processor to perform a method of analyzing contention data and following resource blockers to find root causes of computer problems, comprising:
• detecting, using the processor of the processing system, one or more resource waiters in a first computer system of a collaborative distributed computer system, wherein each of the one or more resource waiters is associated with a corresponding one of one or more processes;
• iteratively determining whether one of the one or more resource waiters is blocked by a resource blocker, until a final resource blocker is found;
• responsive to finding the final resource blocker:
• determining whether the final resource blocker is in the first computer system or a second computer system of the collaborative distributed computer system;
• responsive to determining that the final resource blocker is in the first computer system of the collaborative distributed computer system, defining the final resource blocker as a final resource event;
• and
• responsive to determining that the final resource blocker is in the second computer system of the collaborative distributed computer system, iteratively executing the method on the second computer system until a final resource event is found, wherein the final resource event comprises a final resource blocker not waiting for another resource in the collaborative distributed computer system;
• wherein:
• the resource waiter comprises a process waiting longer than a predetermined time period, and wherein the resource blocker comprises a process holding a resource.

A computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processor of a processing system and storing computer executable instructions for execution by the processor to perform a method of analyzing contention data and following resource blockers to find root causes of computer problems, the method comprising:
• detecting, using the processor of the processing system, one or more resource waiters in a first computer system of a collaborative distributed computer system, wherein each of the one or more resource waiters is associated with a corresponding one of one or more processes;
• iteratively determining whether one of the one or more resource waiters is blocked by a resource blocker, until a final resource blocker is found;
• responsive to finding the final resource blocker:
• determining whether the final resource blocker is in the first computer system or a second computer system of the collaborative distributed computer system;
• responsive to determining that the final resource blocker is in the first computer system of the collaborative distributed computer system, defining the final resource blocker as a final resource event;
• and
• responsive to determining that the final resource blocker is in the second computer system of the collaborative distributed computer system, iteratively executing the method on the second computer system until a final resource event is found, wherein the final resource event comprises a final resource blocker not waiting for another resource in the collaborative distributed computer system;
• wherein:
• the resource waiter comprises a process waiting longer than a predetermined time period, and wherein the resource blocker comprises a process holding a resource.