Intelligent processing of distributed breakpoints

A software development data processing system configured for managing distributed breakpoints when debugging a distributed application, the system comprising:

• a host computing system comprising one or more computers each with memory and at least one processor;
• a debugger executing in the memory of the host computing system, the debugger establishing a breakpoint at a location in source code of a distributed computer program and executing the distributed computer program so as to cause a multiplicity of different processes of the distributed computer program to execute in different nodes of the host computing system in parallel;
• and,
• a distributed breakpoint management module coupled to the debugger, the module comprising program code enabled upon execution in the memory of the computer to detect an encountering of the breakpoint in one of the processes, to halt execution of the one of the processes and initiating a delay period during which a list both is generated of others of the processes in which the breakpoint is encountered and also is sorted in accordance with prioritization criteria, wherein the list is sorted based upon a comparison of variable values for each of the processes in the list, and to respond to a lapse of the delay period, presenting the sorted list in a display of the debugger for selection, and to respond to the selection of individual ones of the processes in the sorted list in the display, halting execution of the selected individual ones of the processes in the sorted list while bypassing halting of execution of non-selected ones of the processes in the sorted list.

A computer program product for managing distributed breakpoints when debugging a distributed application, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising:

• establishing a breakpoint in a debugger at a location in source code of a distributed computer program;
• executing the distributed computer program so as to cause a multiplicity of different processes of the distributed computer program to execute in different nodes in parallel;
• detecting an encountering of the breakpoint in one of the processes;
• halting executing of the one of the processes and initiating a delay period during which a list both is generated of others of the processes in which the breakpoint is encountered and also is sorted in accordance with prioritization criteria, wherein the list is sorted based upon a comparison of variable values for each of the processes in the list;
• and,
• responsive to a lapse of the delay period, presenting the sorted list in a display of the debugger for selection, and responsive to the selection of individual ones of the processes in the sorted list in the display, halting execution of the selected individual ones of the processes in the sorted list while bypassing halting of execution of non-selected ones of the processes in the sorted list.