Debugging a graph

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124998-A1
Application number	US-201514715904-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In certain aspects, a method includes: receiving a first graph that includes components and flows, the components representing operations performed on data records, the flows representing flows of data records between components; receiving a specification that is separate from the first graph, the specification defining one or more insertions, each of the insertions associated with a flow of the first graph; generating one or more components that each corresponds to one of the insertions; and generating a second graph that includes components and flows that correspond to at least some of the components and flows of the first graph and the one or more generated components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method including:
receiving a first graph that includes components and flows, the components representing operations performed on data records, the flows representing flows of data records between components; receiving a specification that is separate from the first graph, the specification defining one or more insertions, each of the insertions associated with a flow of the first graph; generating one or more components that each corresponds to one of the insertions; and generating a second graph that includes components and flows that correspond to at least some of the components and flows of the first graph and the one or more generated components.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the generated components is a probe that is configured to monitor data related to a data record as the data record passes between components of the second graph.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the probe is configured to store the data related to the one or more data records.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the generated components is a test source that is configured to provide data to one of the components of the second graph.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further including executing the second graph.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein fewer than all of the components of the second graph are executed.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the components of the second graph that are executed include components whose operations impact one or more of the generated objects.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein one of the generated components is a probe, and the components of the second graph that are executed include components that provide data to the probe.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein one or more components of the second graph that reside downstream from the probe are not executed.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein one of the generated components is a test source, and one or more components of the second graph that reside upstream of the test source are not executed.

11 . The method of claim 5 , further including:
modifying a parameter associated with one of the components of the second graph; determining whether the modified component, when executed, impacts any of the generated components; and re-executing the second graph.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein, if the modified component, when executed, does not impact any of the generated components, the modified component is not re-executed.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein one of the generated components is a probe, and the modified component resides upstream of a flow associated with the probe.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graph and the specification are stored in separate files.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graph and the second graph are stored in separate files.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second graph is a shell script that is not stored in a file.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the second graph, one of the generated components provides data to a component that corresponds to a component in the first graph that receives data from the flow that is associated with the generated component.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the second graph, one of the generated components receives data from a component that corresponds to a component in the first graph that provides data to the flow that is associated with the generated component.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second graph is generated without the first graph being modified.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the second graph includes:
generating a copy of at least a portion of the first graph; and modifying the copy of the first graph to include the one or more generated components.

21 . A system including:
at least one processor; means for receiving a first graph that includes components and flows, the components representing operations performed on data records, the flows representing flows of data records between components; means for receiving a specification that is separate from the first graph, the specification defining one or more insertions, each of the insertions associated with a flow of the first graph; means for generating one or more components that each corresponds to one of the insertions; and means for generating a second graph that includes components and flows that correspond to at least some of the components and flows of the first graph and the one or more generated components.

22 . A computer system including:
a processor configured to:
receive, from a code repository, a first graph that includes components and flows, the components representing operations performed on data records, the flows representing flows of data records between components; and
receive, through a user interface, a specification that is separate from the first graph, the specification defining one or more insertions, each of the insertions associated with a flow of the first graph; and
a compiler configured to:
generate one or more components that each corresponds to one of the insertions; and
generate a second graph that includes components and flows that correspond to at least some of the components and flows of the first graph and the one or more generated components.

23 . A computer-readable device storing a computer program, the computer program including executable instructions for causing a computer to:
receive a first graph that includes components and flows, the components representing operations performed on data records, the flows representing flows of data records between components; receive a specification that is separate from the first graph, the specification defining one or more insertions, each of the insertions associated with a flow of the first graph; generate one or more components that each corresponds to one of the insertions; and generate a second graph that includes components and flows that correspond to at least some of the components and flows of the first graph and the one or more generated components.

24 . A method including:
identifying a data processing element of a first version of a computer program, the data processing element configured to i) receive data from or ii) provide data to a first data element; generating a component that represents a second data element; and generating a second version of at least a portion of the computer program, the second version of the computer program including the identified data processing element; wherein the second version of the computer program includes the generated component such that the identified data processing element in the second version of the computer program i) receives data from or ii) provides data to the generated component.

25 . The method of claim 24 , including receiving the first version of the computer program.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein generating the second version of at least a portion of the computer program includes generating a copy of the portion of the computer program.

27 . The method of claim 26 , including modifying the copy of the portion of the computer program to include the generated component.

Assignees

• Ab Initio Technology Llc

Inventors

• Offner Carl
• Larson Brond
• Bay Paul
• Teven Dan
• Gould Joel

Classifications

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F11/3636 Primary

  by tracing the execution of the program · CPC title

• G06F8/41

  Compilation · CPC title

• G06F16/2428

  Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms (G06F16/2423 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F17/30958

  Physics · mapped topic