US 6,282,701 B1 · System and method for monitoring and analyzing the execution of computer programs

Abstract

A software system is disclosed which facilitates the process of tracing the execution paths of a program, called the client. The tracing is performed without requiring modifications to the executable or source code files of the client. Trace data collected during the tracing operation is collected according to instructions in a trace options file. At run time, the tracing library attaches to the memory image of the client. The tracing library is configured to monitor execution of the client and to collect trace data, based on selections in the trace options file. The developer then uses a trace analyzer program, also having a graphical user interface, to view the trace information. The system can trace multiple threads and multiple processes. The tracing library is preferably configured to runs in the same process memory space as the client thereby tracing the execution of the client program without the need for context switches. The tracing system provides a remote mode and an online mode. In remote mode, the developer sends the trace control information to a remote user site together with a small executable image called the agent that enables a remote customer, to generate a trace file that represents execution of the client application at the remote site. In online mode, the developer can generate trace options, run and trace the client, and display the trace results in near real-time on the display screen during execution of the client program.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A software system that facilitates the process of identifying and isolating bugs within a plurality of programs each running one or more threads, without requiring modifications to executable or source code files of said programs, each of said programs including at least a source code representation, an executable code representation, and build information that links the source code representation to the executable code representation, the build information generated during building of the executable representation from the source code representation, the software system comprising:

a first user interface module that displays source code elements of one or more source programs on a display screen together with controls that enable a software developer to interactively specify one or more source code elements to be traced, the first user interface module configured to generate trace control information based on selections by said developer of said source code elements to be traced, said first user interface module using at least said build information to generate said trace control information;
a first library module configured to attach to a memory image of a first process executing a first program, said first library module configured to use said trace control information to monitor execution of said first program and to generate first trace information;
a second library module configured to attach to a memory image of a second process executing a second program, said second library module configured to use said trace control information and to monitor execution of said second program and to generate second trace information;
and
a second user interface module that translates said first and second trace information into a human-readable form based at least on said build information, and displays translated information on a display screen to allow said developer to analyze the execution of said first and second programs.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for monitoring and analyzing the execution of computer programs

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System and method for monitoring and analyzing the execution of computer programs

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31