Module specific tracing in a shared module environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9864672-B2
Application number	US-201615068996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Sep 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Visualizing execution of an application in a trace coverage graph includes receiving module trace data gathered during execution of an executable module. The module trace data includes data representing sequences of execution between individual executable components. A trace coverage graph is generated and displayed from the module trace data. The trace coverage graph includes graph nodes that each correspond to a different executable component. The trace coverage graph also includes graph edges that each visually connects two of the graph nodes. Each graph edge visually indicates an amount of trace data present for the sequence of execution between the graph nodes that are connected by the graph edge. Thicker graph edges represent the presence of a larger amount of trace data, and thinner graph edges represent the presence of a lesser amount of trace data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system, comprising:
one or more processors;
a display device; and
one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computer system to visualize execution of an application in a trace coverage graph, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to cause the computer system to perform at least the following:
receiving module trace data gathered during execution of an executable module that includes a plurality of executable components, wherein the module trace data includes data representing sequences of execution between individual executable components of the plurality of executable components during execution of the executable module;
based on, at least in part, receiving the module trace data, generating a trace coverage graph for display at the display device, wherein the generated trace coverage graph includes:
a plurality of different graph nodes, wherein each graph node of the plurality of different graph nodes corresponds to a different individual executable component selected from among the plurality of executable components; and
a plurality of different graph edges, wherein each graph edge of the plurality of different graph edges visually connects two graph nodes of the plurality of different graph nodes of the generated trace coverage graph representing individual executable components of the plurality of executable components that were executed in sequence during execution of the executable module, wherein the thickness of each graph edge of the plurality of different graph edges visually indicates an amount of trace data present for a sequence of execution between the plurality of different graph nodes that are connected by the graph edge, wherein thicker graph edges represent the presence of a larger amount of trace data and thinner graph edges represent the presence of a lesser amount of trace data, wherein the thicker graph edges are heavier graph edges than the thinner graph edges, and wherein dashed graph edges represent the presence of no trace data, indicating that at least one graph node of the plurality of different graph nodes corresponds to an executable component of the plurality of executable components that was not executed during execution of the executable module; and

displaying the generated trace coverage graph at the display device.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein each graph node of the plurality of different graph nodes is labeled with a reference to executable code represented by the graph node.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , the computer-executable instructions also including instructions that are executable to cause the computer system to receive a user input selecting a graph node and to display additional underlying data about the selected graph node.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the generated trace coverage graph is displayed as part of a module-specific user interface for the executable module.

5. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein the module-specific user interface includes one or more module metrics, including one or more of:
a reliability metric that reflects robustness or fragility of the executable module;
a popularity metric that reflects usage of the executable module by a community; or
a trending metric indicating if the executable module is increasing or decreasing in popularity.

6. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein the module-specific user interface indicates a quantity of the module trace data.

7. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein the module-specific user interface reflects observations for individual functions within the executable module.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the observations for the individual functions within the executable module include one or more of an error rate, processor consumption, or memory consumption for an individual function within the executable module.

9. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein the module-specific user interface graphs usage trends of the executable module over time.

10. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein the module-specific user interface includes a module topology graph that visually illustrates links between the executable module and one or more other modules that are called by the executable module.

11. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or me processors, for visualizing execution of an application in a trace coverage graph, the method comprising:
analyzing module trace data gathered during execution of an executable module that includes a plurality of executable components, wherein the module trace data includes data representing sequences of execution between individual executable components of the plurality of executable components during execution of the executable module;
based on, at least in part, analyzing the module trace data, generating a trace coverage graph for display at a display device, wherein the generated trace coverage graph includes:
a plurality of different graph nodes, wherein each graph node of the plurality of different graph nodes corresponds to a different individual executable component selected from among the plurality of executable components; and
a plurality of different graph edges, wherein each graph edge of the plurality of different graph edges visually connects two graph nodes of the plurality of different graph nodes of the generated trace coverage graph representing individual executable components of the plurality of executable components that were executed in sequence during execution of the executable module, wherein the thickness of each graph edge of the plurality of different graph edges visually indicates an amount of trace data present for a sequence of execution between the plurality of different graph nodes that are connected by the graph edge, wherein thicker graph edges represent the presence of a larger amount of trace data and thinner graph edges represent the presence of a lesser amount of trace data, wherein the thicker graph edges are heavier graph edges than the thinner graph edges, and wherein dashed graph edges represent the presence of no trace data, indicating that at least one graph node of the plurality of different graph nodes corresponds to an executable component of the plurality of executable components that was not executed during execution of the executable module; and

displaying the generated trace coverage graph at the display device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each graph node of the plurality of different graph nodes is labeled with a reference to executable code represented by the graph node.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a user input selecting a graph node and displaying additional underlying data about the selected graph node.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the generated trace coverage graph is displayed as part of a module-specific user interface for the executable module.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the module-specific user interface includes one or more module metrics, including one or more of:
a reliability metric that reflects robustness or fragility of the executable module;
a popularity metric that reflects usage of the executable module by a community; or
a trending metric indicating if the executable module is increasing or decreasing in popularity.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the module-specific user interface indicates a quantity of the module trace data.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Seto Tetsuo
• Gounares Alexander G
• Krajec Russell S

Classifications

• G06F11/3664

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/12 Primary

  Protecting executable software · CPC title

• G06F2201/865

  Monitoring of software · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• G06F11/34

  Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation {; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment} · CPC title