Diagnostic exerciser and methods therefor

In a computer system, an arrangement for diagnosing the performance of a computer system while executing an application program, said application program being executed under an operating system (OS) kernel, comprising:

• a diagnostic monitor configured to execute cooperatively with said OS kernel, said OS kernel having a kernel trap arrangement for handling at least one of a trap-type message and an interrupt-type message generated during said execution of said application program, said diagnostic monitor being capable of continuing to execute after said OS kernel crashes, said diagnostic monitor including a monitor trap arrangement for handling at least one of said trap-type message and said interrupt-type message, said diagnostic monitor being configured to receive traps generated during said execution of said application program and decide, for a given trap received, whether said OS kernel would handle said trap received or whether said diagnostic monitor would handle said trap received.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code being configured to handle errors in a computer system, comprising:

• computer readable code implementing a diagnostic monitor, said diagnostic monitor being configured to execute cooperatively with an operating system (OS) kernel instead of under said OS kernel in said computer system, said diagnostic monitor including a monitor trap arrangement configured to receive traps generated in said computer system, said OS kernel having a kernel trap arrangement configured to handle traps passed from said diagnostic monitor;
• and
• computer readable code for loading said diagnostic monitor at system startup prior to loading said OS kernel.