Crash Dump Analysis

OpenTask to offer first 3 volumes of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology in one set:

The set is available exclusively from OpenTask e-Commerce web site starting from June. Individual volumes are also available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores worldwide.

Product information:

• Title: Modern Memory Dump and Software Trace Analysis: Volumes 1-3
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24
• Paperback: 1600 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (31 May 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-99-5

Information about individual volumes:

• Volume 1
• Volume 2
• Volume 3

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

Established 2 years ago, in April 2008, Software Generalist blog celebrates its 100th post.

Plan to start providing training and seminars in my free time. If you are interested please answer these questions (you can either respond here in comments or use this form for private communication http://www.dumpanalysis.org/contact):

• Are you interested in on-site training, prefer traveling or attending webinars?
• Are you interested in software trace analysis as well?
• What specific topics are you interested in?
• What training level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) are you interested in? (please provide an example, if possible)

Additional topics of expertise that can be integrated into training include Source Code Reading and Analysis, Debugging, Windows Architecture, Device Drivers, Troubleshooting Tools Design and Implementation, Multithreading, Deep Down C and C++, x86 and x64 Assembly Language Reading.

Looking forward to your responses. Any suggestions are welcome.

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

I originally intended to name this blog post as ”What I’m Reading Now” but then decided to show it as another satisfying example of my Mod N Reading technique. During my 7 years in memory dump analysis captivity I didn’t pay much attention to traditional synthetic software engineering (as opposed to analytical software defect research in computer memory) except occasionally writing some troubleshooting tools, describing DebugWare patterns in UML and devising RADII process. A few weeks ago I decided to brush up my engineering skills and read some books that accumulated in my library during last few years. Here is the list of them (debugging triptych of Windows Internals 5th Edition, Advanced Windows Debugging, and Advanced .NET Debugging are on my office table and I read them almost daily so I’m not including them in the list below).

Illustrated Mod N is actually Mod 7 technique where I cycle through 7 topics with 3 books for each topic. Ideally I aim to dedicate one topic per day every week but this is not always possible due to writing and publishing but I still do it in a Mod 7 way even if I skip some days. it usually takes me an hour or two to read carefully 5-10 pages from each of 3 topical books. Here is the current state of the reading round-robin queue (21 books) under my home computer desk:

Here are the topics and corresponding books (with links if you would like to buy them from Amazon):

Multithreading from Computer Science Perspective

Synchronization Algorithms and Concurrent Programming

Modern Multithreading : Implementing, Testing, and Debugging Multithreaded Java and C++/Pthreads/Win32 Programs

The Art of Multiprocessor Programming

Algorithms, Parsing

Algorithms in a Nutshell

Flex & Bison: Text Processing Tools

The Algorithm Design Manual

Statistics 

Statistics in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference

Statistics Hacks: Tips & Tools for Measuring the World and Beating the Odds

Statistics, 4th Edition

C++, STL and Boost 

C++ in a Nutshell

Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost

C++ Cookbook

Security, Mac OS X

The Rootkit Arsenal: Escape and Evasion in the Dark Corners of the System

The Mac Hacker’s Handbook

Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems

Code, Games

Programming Language Pragmatics, Third Edition

Game Engine Architecture

Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction

Embedded and Real-Time Software Engineering

Designing Embedded Hardware

Bebop to the Boolean Boogie, Third Edition: An Unconventional Guide to Electronics

Software Engineering for Real-Time Systems

With fix-privet,
Dr. DebugLove

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org + TraceAnalysis.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 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 -

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 -

Sometimes I’m asked about a broad software engineering book to recommend for general memory dump analysis that covers software architecture, design methods and diagramming languages like UML, programming languages, concurrency, real-time issues and many other topics you need to know to have systems understanding that helps in problem identification and debugging. Here’s the book that I was fortunate to buy 4-5 years ago in a book shop and is a sheer pleasure to read:

Software Engineering for Real-Time Systems

Today I found that there even exists an OMG certification based on it:

http://www.omg.org/ocres/exam-info.htm

I might try later this summer. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

As soon as I wrote my review of the 2nd edition I found out that the 3rd edition was recently published and immediately bought it. I intend to read it from cover to cover again and publish my notes and comments in my reading notebook on Software Generalist blog. The new edition is also bundled with a companion CD.

Programming Language Pragmatics, Third Edition

Hope in one of subsequent editions the author includes my Riemann Programming Language :-) 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Here is the monthly summary of my Software Generalist blog including some March posts:

Software Accommodation

Sociology of Software

State and Event

Standard Model and UML (Part 1)

Reading Notebook: 15-Apr-09

Reading Notebook: 20-Apr-09

Reading Notebook: 21-Apr-09

Reading Notebook: 22-Apr-09

Reading Notebook: 23-Apr-09

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Here is the monthly summary of my Software Generalist blog including some January posts:

Computational Slotting Fees

Reading Notebook: 21-Jan-09

Reading Notebook: 22-Jan-09

Reading Notebook: 06-Feb-09

Reading Notebook: 09-Feb-09

Finite Sets

Reading Notebook: 11-Feb-09

Reading Notebook: 16-Feb-09

Software Labour and Alienation

Software Generalism

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

On my sibling blog I started writing brief mathematical articles using UML notation to depict various concepts from modern and not so modern mathematics:

http://www.softwaregeneralist.com/category/software-and-mathematics/

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Here is weekly summary of my Software Generalist blog:

On Software Space-Time

On Software and Ethics

Reading Notebook: 13-Jan-09

Optimal Discrete Reading Chunks

On Facts about Software

Reading Notebook: 15-Jan-09

Reading Notebook: 18-Jan-09

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Here is weekly summary of my Software Generalist blog:

On Abandonment

On Babbage-Chambers Paradox

Reading Notebook: 07-Jan-09

On Good Software

Software and Philosophy

Software and Philosophical Beliefs

Remembering d’Alembert

The Variety of Software

Redefining Software Generalist

Reading Notebook: 09-Jan-09

Worship of Memory

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

This year I revived one of my side blogs by transforming the failed book stack reading approach into a reading notebook that will eventually be a part of planned software engineering notebooks with the first one to be published in Q2 or so (ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-14-8):

An Attempt to Revive this Blog

Yesterday and today I did some reading as well:

Reading Notebook: 05-Jan-09

Reading Notebook: 06-Jan-09

More books will be added to this notebook soon.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -