Aggregating data for debugging software

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10657027-B2
Application number	US-201916241296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A method for obtaining data to debug an issue that affects a software application. In an embodiment, the method includes at least one computer processor receiving a request to obtain data associated with an issue that affects an executing software application. The method further includes determining a set of memory spaces utilized by the executing software application and one or more processes supporting the executing software application. The method further includes initiating a dump function to obtain data within the memory spaces of the determined set of memory spaces. The method further includes storing the data related to the dumped set of memory spaces by (i) high-speed capture and aggregation of data to volatile memory and (ii) spooling data within volatile memory to persistent memory for storage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for obtaining data to debug an issue that affects a software application, the method comprising:
determining, by one or more computer processors, a first set of memory spaces utilized by an executing software application;
determining, by one or more computer processors, a second set of memory spaces utilized by the one or more processes supporting the executing software application, wherein the second set of memory spaces are determined based on (i) one or more relationships between the executing software application and the one or more processes supporting the executing software application, and (ii) one or more relationships among the one or more processes supporting the executing software application;
identifying, by one or more computer processors, one or more dictates related to debugging the executing software application, wherein the one or more dictates are selected from the group consisting of: a maximum size for the data related to the dumped from among the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces, a scope of tracing associated with the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces, specifying one or more processes supporting the executing software application to dump, and an order to dump the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces;
determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more memory spaces to dump utilizing the dump function, from among the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces, based, at least in part, on the identified one or more dictates related to debugging the executing software application; and
initiating, by one or more computer processors, a dump function to obtain data within the memory spaces of the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by one or more computer processors, one or more deviations related to a service level agreement corresponding to the executing software application; and
in response to detecting the one or more deviations related to a service level agreement corresponding to the executing software application, initiating, by one or more computer processors, debugging of the executing software application.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by one or more computer processors, a receiving a request to diagnose the executing software application; and
in response to receiving the request to diagnose the executing software application, initiating, by one or more computer processors, debugging of the executing software application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein relationships are determined based on information selected from the group consisting of a memory cataloging function, a process tracing function, a process tree, provisioning information for a process, indications associated with a memory space, and sharing data among two or more processes.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
filtering, by one or more computer processors, the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces to remove duplicate references corresponding to a memory space to dump.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by one or more computer processors, information associated with the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory, wherein the information includes: an ID corresponding to a memory space, one or more process IDs that access the memory space, and an indication identifying whether the memory space was released; and
storing, by one or more computer processors, the identified information within a report related to debugging the executing software application.

7. A computer program product for obtaining data to debug an issue that affects a software application, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions readable/executable by one or more computer processors and further comprising:
program instructions to determine a first set of memory spaces utilized by an executing software application;
program instructions to determine a second set of memory spaces utilized by the one or more processes supporting the executing software application, wherein the second set of memory spaces are determined based on (i) one or more relationships between the executing software application and the one or more processes supporting the executing software application, and (ii) one or more relationships among the one or more processes supporting the executing software application;
program instructions to identify one or more dictates related to debugging the executing software application, wherein the one or more dictates are selected from the group consisting of: a maximum size for the data related to the dumped from among the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces, a scope of tracing associated with the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces, specifying one or more processes supporting the executing software application to dump, and an order to dump the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces;
program instructions to determine one or more memory spaces to dump utilizing the dump function, from among the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces, based, at least in part, on the identified one or more dictates related to debugging the executing software application; and
program instructions to initiate dump function to obtain data within the memory spaces of the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising:
program instructions to detect one or more deviations related to a service level agreement corresponding to the executing software application; and
in response to detecting the one or more deviations related to a service level agreement corresponding to the executing software application, program instructions to initiate debugging of the executing software application.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive a receiving a request to diagnose the executing software application; and
in response to receiving the request to diagnose the executing software application, program instructions to initiate debugging of the executing software application.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein relationships are determined based on information selected from the group consisting of a memory cataloging function, a process tracing function, a process tree, provisioning information for a process, indications associated with a memory space, and sharing data among two or more processes.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising:
program instructions to filter the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory spaces to remove duplicate references corresponding to a memory space to dump.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising:
program instructions to identify information associated with the determined first set of memory spaces and the determined second set of memory, wherein the information includes: an ID corresponding to a memory space, one or more pro

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Mulder James H
• Patel Purvi S
• Salone Patrice
• Sharpe Ralph A
• Varanasi Girija

Classifications

• G06F11/362

  Debugging of software · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F11/3636 Primary

  by tracing the execution of the program · CPC title

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F11/366 Primary

  using diagnostics (G06F11/0703 takes precedence) · CPC title