Methods and system for constrained replay debugging with message communications

A computing system, comprising:

• a display;
• a user interface configured to receive inputs from a user of the system;
• a memory;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs when executed by the one or more processors cause the processor to:
• receive one or more log files, wherein the one or more log files are based on a plurality of messages generated by a plurality of components in a distributed computing system during an execution of a distributed software program implemented on the plurality of components, and wherein each log file of the one or more log files includes a time stamp;
• display a visual progress bar on the display in a predefined area of the display, wherein the visual progress bar includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the visual progress bar corresponds to the log file with the earliest time stamp of the one or more log files and the second end corresponds to the log file with the latest timestamp of the one or more log files;
• display a progress indicator on the visual progress bar, wherein a position of the progress indicator on the visual progress bar corresponds to a log file of the one or more log files;
• display a visual representation in a predefined area of the display, wherein the visual representation corresponds to a content of the log file corresponding to the position of the progress indicator;
• and
• wherein in response to a first input from the user at the interface, the position of the progress indicator moves in a direction from the first end of the visual progress bar to the second end of the visual progress bar, wherein the log file associated with the progress indicator changes when the position of the progress indicator changes, wherein the visual representation displayed changes when the log file corresponding to the progress indicator changes, and wherein in response to a second input from the user at the interface, the progress indicator stops moving.

A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display and a user input interface, cause the device to:

• receive one or more log files, wherein the one or more log files are based on a plurality of messages generated by a plurality of components in a distributed computing system during an execution of a distributed software program implemented on the plurality of components, and wherein each log file of the one or more log files includes a time stamp;
• display a visual progress bar on the display in a predefined area of the display, wherein the visual progress bar includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the visual progress bar corresponds to the log file with the earliest time stamp of the one or more log files and the second end corresponds to the log file with the latest timestamp of the one or more log files;
• display a progress indicator on the visual progress bar, wherein a position of the progress indicator on the visual progress bar corresponds to a log file of the one or more log files;
• display a visual representation in a predefined area of the display, wherein the visual representation corresponds to a content of the log file corresponding to the position of the progress indicator;
• and
• wherein in response to a first input from the user at the interface, the position of the progress indicator moves in a direction from the first end of the visual progress bar to the second end of the visual progress bar, wherein the log file associated with the progress indicator changes when the position of the progress indicator changes, wherein the visual representation displayed changes when the log file corresponding to the progress indicator changes, and wherein in response to a second input from the user at the interface, the progress indicator stops moving.