Crash Dump Analysis

This is a revised, edited, cross-referenced and thematically organized volume of selected DumpAnalysis.org blog posts about crash dump analysis and debugging written in July 2009 - January 2010 for software engineers developing and maintaining products on Windows platforms, quality assurance engineers testing software on Windows platforms and technical support and escalation engineers dealing with complex software issues. The fourth volume features:

- 13 new crash dump analysis patterns
- 13 new pattern interaction case studies
- 10 new trace analysis patterns
- 6 new Debugware patterns and case study
- Workaround patterns
- Updated checklist
- Fully cross-referenced with Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3
- New appendixes

Product information:

• Title: Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 4
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24

• Paperback: 410 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (30 March 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-86-5

• Hardcover: 410 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (30 April 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-87-2

Back cover features memory space art image: Internal Process Combustion.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org + TraceAnalysis.org -

After exciting results of  the previous year of debugging it is time to announce modest plans for this year, 0×7DA:

Release the first beta version of EasyDbg 

Release the first beta version of CARE (Crash Analysis Report Environment) for a pattern-driven debugger log analyzer with standards for structured audience-driven reports

Release the first beta version of STARE (Software Trace Analysis Report Environment) for a pattern-driven software trace analyzer with corresponding standards for structured audience-driven reports

Publish the following books on dump analysis that address different audiences (general users, system administrators, support and escalation engineers, testers, software engineers, security and software defect researchers):

- Windows Debugging Notebook
- Crash Dump Analysis for System Administrators and Support Engineers
- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 4
- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 5
- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology Color Supplement
- Principles of Memory Dump Analysis
- My Computer Crashes and Freezes: A Non-technical Guide to Software and Hardware Errors
- Linux, FreeBSD and Mac OS X Debugging: Practical Foundations  
- Encyclopedia of Crash Dump Analysis Patterns  
- WinDbg In Use: Debugging Exercises

Publish articles related to memory dump analysis in Debugged! magazine

Update WinDbg Poster and Cards

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org + TraceAnalysis.org -

If you know any other please let us know. For example, MSDN is great too, there was also a Visual C++-oriented magazine I used to read in the past. May be it is still in print. I plan to make a wider perspective picture later on. Both pictured magazines (Debugged! MZ/PE and NT Insider) are mainly oriented towards unmanaged and native code respectively (the former with a timeless computer science slant) but Debugged! soon to cover native, virtualized, interpreted and managed code environments too and aims to become a “Complete Debugging Magazine” similar to kernel vs. user process vs. complete memory dump file differences.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

“Memory dumps are facts.”

I’m very excited to announce that Volume 3 is available in paperback, hardcover and digital editions:

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 3

Table of Contents

In two weeks paperback edition should also appear on Amazon and other bookstores. Amazon hardcover edition is planned to be available in January 2010.

The amount of information was so voluminous that I had to split the originally planned volume into two. Volume 4 should appear by the middle of February together with Color Supplement for Volumes 1-4. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Previously announced Software Maintenance Institute was finally registered in Ireland (Reg. No. 400906) and its certificate was received yesterday. The SMI web site temporary points to Crash Dump Analysis and Debugging Portal: www.sminstitute.com

Here is the current component structure of various institutions (depicted in UML):

Interface Tags:

IIP Interface of Iterative Publishing
IRD Interface of Research and Development
IDR Interface of Defect Research
IIR Interface of Information Repository
IME Interface of Memetic Engineering

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Finally, after the long delay, the issue is available in print on Amazon and through other sellers:

Debugged! MZ/PE: Software Tracing

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Memory Analysis and Debugging Institute (MA&DI), DA+TA Portal (DumpAnalysis.org + TraceAnalysis.org) and OpenTask establish

Software Maintenance Institute (SMI)

More details about R&D Institute of Software Maintenance will be announced soon.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

This is a revised, edited, cross-referenced and thematically organized volume of selected DumpAnalysis.org blog posts about crash dump analysis and debugging written in October 2008 - June 2009 for software engineers developing and maintaining products on Windows platforms, quality assurance engineers testing software on Windows platforms and technical support and escalation engineers dealing with complex software issues. The third volume features:

- 15 new crash dump analysis patterns
- 29 new pattern interaction case studies
- Trace analysis patterns
- Updated checklist
- Fully cross-referenced with Volume 1 and Volume 2
- New appendixes

Product information:

• Title: Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 3
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (20 December 2009)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-43-8

• Hardcover: 404 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (30 January 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-44-5

Back cover features 3D computer memory visualization image.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

I’m very pleased to announce the free online version of Debugged! MZ/PE magazine under the code name DEMO launched last night:

Debugging Expert Magazine Online (www.DebuggingExpert.com)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Responding to numerous requests and suggestions I plan to make magazine interior excluding promotional vouchers available for free download. If someone needs covers including back covers where I put tips and tables to be used as posters or certification vouchers printed inside then they should buy the magazine from Amazon or other bookshops.

This initiative will be accompanied by a smart marketing trick that I plan to unveil in a few days together with the magazine website.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The digital version of the book is finally available:

x64 Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations

Paperback should be available in 1-2 weeks on Amazon and other stores. When working on the book I fixed errors in the previous x86 version. Errata file for it should be available tomorrow.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

OpenTask plans to expand its Practical Foundations series and publish the following 2 books for the forthcoming Memory Dump Analysis Fundamentals certification (Unix track) being developed by Memory Analysis and Debugging Institute:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Paraphrasing “Knowing about knowing about knowing” (Side-box 0.1, Consciousness, David Rose) as “Knowing about knowing about problem solving”, I would suggest the following references to raise the level of awareness from meta-troubleshooting and meta-debugging, the subject of various general purpose debugging books to the next epistemic level. I’m currently reading the following books and let you know about my progress along the journey:

Toward a Unified Theory of Problem Solving: Views From the Content Domains

The Psychology of Problem Solving

The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Finally the issue is available on Amazon and through other sellers:

Debugged! MZ/PE: Modeling Software Defects

I’m now planning the September issue and post details later. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Jamie Fenton has finally made available for beta testing fantastic memory visualization system HayWire & Barn Burner I use often for mining curious pictures from virtual memory space, like “cosmic rays“. Besides providing artistic pleasure, real-time natural memory visualization can have other applications including visual debugging. Looking forward to seeing more wonders in this area of research!

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The second issue of the magazine was put into production today and should be available after one or two weeks on Amazon, B&N and other booksellers worldwide.

Title: Debugged! MZ/PE: Modeling Software Defects
Authors: Konstantin Chebotarev, Kapildev Ramlal, Dmitry Vostokov
ISBN: 1906717680
ISBN-13: 978-1906717681
Annotation: Welcome to the second issue of Debugged! MZ/PE magazine! It brings fault injection into new light and features articles discussing software defect construction via DLL injection, modeling CPU spikes and runaway exception processing. This issue also includes a memory dump analysis certification voucher. Back cover features WinDbg breakpoint and tracing command summary for easy desk reference. - Dmitry Vostokov - Editor-in-Chief

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Following the success of Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations the following title will be published this summer:

Windows Device Drivers: Practical Foundations (ISBN: 978-0955832840)

Table of contents will be posted later.

Other planned titles:

X64 Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations (ISBN: 978-1906717568) 

Windows Multithreading: Practical Foundations (ISBN: 978-1906717742)

 Like Windows Debugging book, these forthcoming titles are based on my seminars. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

OpenTask, iterative and incremental publisher, plans to release a guide for general computer users explaining crashes and hangs on personal computers ranging from mobile phones, netbooks and laptops to desktops and servers:

My Computer Crashes and Freezes: A Non-technical Guide to Software and Hardware Errors (ISBN: 978-19067171704)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Previously announced memory dump analysis certification will have x86/x64-based tracks for Windows and Unix (including Linux / FreeBSD / Mac OS X). Each track consists of 3 exams, each having its own set of requirements and scope:

• Fundamentals of Memory Dump Analysis
• Intermediate Memory Dump Analysis
• Advanced Memory Dump Analysis

More information will be available later. The initiative is supported by OpenTask.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

This is an example from the sample question set of the forthcoming memory dump analysis certification planned by Memory Analysis and Debugging Institute. You can reply to this post with your answers.

Q. Interpret the fragment from WinDbg output below.

0:002> !teb
[...]
TEB at 7efaf000
[...]

0:002> dds poi(7efaf000+8) poi(7efaf000+4)
01192000  00000000
01192004  00000000
01192008  00000000
[...]
0119e448  00010020
0119e44c  00030002
0119e450  00050004
0119e454  00070006
0119e458  00090008
0119e45c  000b000a
0119e460  000d000c
0119e464  000f000e
0119e468  00110010
0119e46c  00130012
0119e470  00150014
0119e474  00170016
0119e478  00190018
0119e47c  001b001a
0119e480  001d001c
0119e484  001f001e
0119e488  00210020
0119e48c  00230022
0119e490  00250024
0119e494  00270026
0119e498  00290028
0119e49c  002b002a
0119e4a0  002d002c
0119e4a4  002f002e
0119e4a8  00310030
0119e4ac  00330032
0119e4b0  00350034
0119e4b4  00370036
0119e4b8  00390038
0119e4bc  003b003a
0119e4c0  003d003c
0119e4c4  003f003e
0119e4c8  00410040 MyService!__InternalCxxFrameHandler+0x5c
0119e4cc  00430042
0119e4d0  00450044
0119e4d4  00470046
0119e4d8  00490048
0119e4dc  004b004a
0119e4e0  004d004c
0119e4e4  004f004e
0119e4e8  00510050 advapi32!`string'+0x164
0119e4ec  00530052 advapi32!GetPerflibKeyValue+0x184
0119e4f0  00550054 advapi32!`string'+0x20c
0119e4f4  00570056 advapi32!_NULL_IMPORT_DESCRIPTOR+0x2714
0119e4f8  00590058 advapi32!szPerflibSectionName <PERF> (advapi32+0x90058)
0119e4fc  005b005a shlwapi!_CRT_INIT+0xaf
0119e500  005d005c shlwapi!_OpenProgidKey+0xee
0119e504  005f005e shlwapi!_pRawDllMain <PERF> (shlwapi+0x5005e)
0119e508  00410060 MyService!__InternalCxxFrameHandler+0x7c
0119e50c  00430042
0119e510  00450044
0119e514  00470046
0119e518  00490048
0119e51c  004b004a
0119e520  004d004c
0119e524  004f004e
0119e528  00510050 advapi32!`string'+0x164
0119e52c  00530052 advapi32!GetPerflibKeyValue+0x184
0119e530  00550054 advapi32!`string'+0x20c
0119e534  00570056 advapi32!_NULL_IMPORT_DESCRIPTOR+0x2714
0119e538  00590058 advapi32!szPerflibSectionName <PERF> (advapi32+0x90058)
0119e53c  007b005a
0119e540  007d007c
0119e544  007f007e
[...]

Choose all answers that are valid:

a. ASCII string fragment
b. Raw stack data
c. Exception handling
d. UNICODE string fragment
e. Partial stack traces
f. Performance monitoring
g. Execution residue

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -