Apparatus, method and program for recording diagnostic trace information
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorAndrew J. E. Menadue
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Abstract
A method of recording diagnostic trace information is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided in which metadata corresponding to each of a set of events that are subject to tracing is stored, wherein the metadata indicates how useful each of the events is in determining a root cause of a failure. This metadata is used to vary an apportionment of a memory among the events. Diagnostic trace information is then stored within the memory according to the apportionment.
Claims20
A method of recording diagnostic trace information within a memory, said method comprising:
- retrieving metadata corresponding to a computer system or computer program that is subject to tracing, wherein said metadata indicates the usefulness of each of a plurality of possible events that can occur within said computer system or computer program in determining a root cause of a failure;
- applying preferential ordering to said plurality of possible events based on said metadata;
- allocating a separate trace buffer within a memory of said computer system for each of said plurality of possible events, wherein the size of each trace buffer is based on said preferential ordering such that a smaller of said trace buffers is utilized to store frequent information-level trace event records and a larger of said trace buffers is utilized to store infrequent information-level trace event records;
- and
- storing diagnostic trace information as a unique sequence number along with a timestamp in each of said trace buffers within said memory accordingly.
An apparatus for recording diagnostic trace information, said apparatus comprising:
- means for retrieving metadata corresponding to a system or program that is subject to tracing, wherein said metadata indicates the usefulness of each of a plurality of possible events that can occur within said system or program in determining a root cause of a failure;
- means for applying preferential ordering to said plurality of possible events based on said metadata;
- a trace component for allocating a separate trace buffer within a memory for each of said plurality of possible events, wherein the size of each trace buffer is based on said preferential ordering such that a smaller of said trace buffers is utilized to store frequent information-level trace event records and a larger of said trace buffers is utilized to store infrequent information-level trace event records;
- and
- a memory for storing diagnostic trace information as a unique sequence number along with a timestamp in each of said trace buffers within said memory accordingly.
A computer storage medium having a computer program product for recording diagnostic trace information within a memory, said computer storage medium comprising:
- computer program code for retrieving metadata corresponding to a system or program that is subject to tracing, wherein said metadata indicates the usefulness of each of a plurality of possible events that can occur within said system or program in determining a root cause of a failure;
- computer program code for applying preferential ordering to said plurality of possible events based on said metadata;
- computer program code for allocating a separate trace buffer within a volatile memory for each of said plurality of possible events, wherein the size of each trace buffer is based on said preferential ordering such that a smaller of said trace buffers is utilized to store frequent information-level trace event records and a larger of said trace buffers is utilized to store infrequent information-level trace event records;
- and
- computer program code for storing diagnostic trace information as a unique sequence number along with a timestamp in each of said trace buffers within said volatile memory accordingly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.