Physical Memory Analysis Fundamentals

This is a revised version of the seminar delivered more than 2 years ago. Now updated to the latest WinDbg from Windows SDK 8.1.

Topics include:

  • User vs. kernel vs. physical memory space
  • Challenges of physical memory analysis
  • Common WinDbg commands
  • Patterns and pattern catalogues
  • Common mistakes
  • Fibre bundles
  • Hands-on exercise: a physical memory dump analysis
  • A guide to Software Diagnostics Library
  • Memory forensics

Physical Memory Analysis Logo

Date: December 30, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM (GMT)
Duration: 60 minutes

2014 - The Year of Software Forensics

The previous year 2013 was announced as The Year of Software Diagnostics and among various results it was successful in laying out the theoretical foundations for software forensics. We start the year 2014 with a seminar to show our vision of pattern-oriented software forensics and a roadmap for further development and advancement of its body of knowledge:

Webinar: Pattern-Oriented Software Forensics

Pattern-Oriented Software Forensics

This Webinar introduces a comprehensive theory behind software forensics based on systemic and pattern-oriented software diagnostics developed by Software Diagnostics Institute. It synthesises pattern-oriented memory analysis of malware and victimware with pattern-oriented software log and trace analysis based on software narratology.

Pattern-Oriented Software Forensics Webinar Logo

Date: 27th of December, 2013
Time: 19:00 (BST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Diagnosed by Vostokov®TM

Our founder and Chief Diagnostics Scientist Dmitry Vostokov launches his personal brand:

Diagnostic Manual of Software Problems

The Diagnostic Manual of Software Problems (DMS), published by Software Diagnostics Institute, provides a common pattern language, standard diagnostic categories and criteria for the classification, determination and communication of abnormal software structure and behavior. DMS is evolved from software diagnostics pattern catalogues and other classification criteria introduced in various webinars from Software Diagnostics Services (currently published as Software Diagnostics: The Collected Seminars, ISBN 978-1908043641). The first version is planned for early 2014 and then revised every year.

Training: Deep Down C++

If you mastered Memory Language you mastered all other programming languages.

Learn internals of C++ implementation on x64 Windows platforms. Improve your memory thinking and understanding of C++ coding standards. We use a unique and innovative memory cell diagram approach to speed up the learning curve. The training consists of practical step-by-step hands-on exercises using WinDbg and memory dumps. The author of this course has solid experience in debugging very large C++ code bases, in the development of static code analysis tools for C++ and in C++ and STL semantics.

Deep Down C++ Logo

Software Diagnostics Services (PatternDiagnostics.com) organizes a training course:

The training consists of 2 two-hour sessions. When you finish the training you additionally get:

  1. A full transcript in PDF format (retail price $300)
  2. 6 volumes of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology in PDF format (retail price $120)
  3. A personalized attendance certificate with unique CID (PDF format)
  4. Free Software Diagnostics Library membership with access to more than 200 cross-referenced patterns of memory dump analysis, their classification and more than 70 case studies

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Prerequisites: Working knowledge of C++. Operating system internals and assembly language concepts are explained when necessary.

Audience: Software engineers designing, developing and debugging software using C++. The course will also be useful for technical support and escalation engineers who analyse memory dumps from complex software environments and need to go deeper in their analysis of abnormal software structure and behaviour.

The PDF training book to be published in 2014.

Note: 40% discount is available for those who previously booked Accelerated Disassembly, Reconstruction and Reversing training or purchased its book.

The RIP Point

This is a sequel (ISBN: 978-1908043689) to The Exception Point novella. Book description:

Survived the chaos after The Impact, Vladimir Ulyanov and his elder brother Aleksandr (who was pardoned by the father of Nicholas II instead of being executed 30 years ago, in 1887) launch a computer company that would transform the world for the next 100 years.

Software Diagnostics: Requirements, Architecture, Design, Implementation and Improvement

This free Webinar summarizes a pattern-oriented approach to software diagnostics and discusses software diagnostics RADII process based on common software diagnostics framework.

Software Diagnostics: Requirements, Architecture, Design, Implementation and Improvement Webinar Logo

Date: 17th of January, 2014
Time: 19:00 (GMT)
Duration: 60 minutes

Introduction to Psychology of Software Diagnostics

This is a short webinar to discuss the human side of software diagnostics.

Introduction to Psychology of Software Diagnostics Logo

Date: 3rd of February, 2014
Time: 19:00 (GMT)
Duration: 60 minutes

The Structure of Twitter Narrative

This illustrated research monograph analyses Twitter narrative stream from the perspective of trace and log analysis patterns.

  • Title: The Structure of Twitter Narrative: Applied Patterns from Software Narratology and Human-Computer Narratives
  • Authors: Dmitry Vostokov, Software Diagnostics Institute
  • Publisher: OpenTask (September 2013)
  • Language: English
  • Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.0
  • Paperback: 120 pages
  • ISBN-13: 978-1908043610

Introduction to Mobile Software Diagnostics

We discuss the perspectives of Software Diagnostics discipline in mobile world including pattern-oriented approach to troubleshooting and debugging modern web applications.

Introduction to Mobile Software Diagnostics Logo

Date: 17th of September, 2013
Time: 19:00 (BST)
Duration: 60 minutes

BugInject Library

Software Diagnostics Services is planning to release BugInject® library modeling abnormal software structure and behaviour based on our pattern catalogues.

CVnar: 10 years of Software Diagnostics + 10 years of Software Engineering

Introduction to CVnar Logo

Date: 10th of January, 2014
Time: 19:00 (GMT)
Duration: 60 minutes

Join the CVnar summarizing the last 10 years of work and thought of Software Diagnostics Services founder including the brief summary of another 10 years before that implemented in a novel format of Web CV narrative. Based on timeline from Software Diagnostics Institute (http://www.dumpanalysis.org/Timeline) where each slide corresponds to a major milestone with comments.

Introduction to Semiotics of Debugging

Learn about an application of semiotics to software diagnostics, troubleshooting and debugging including sign systems, sign classification and sign processes.

Introduction to Semiotics of Debugging Logo

Date: 8th of January, 2014
Time: 19:00 (GMT)
Duration: 60 minutes

Prerequisites: Basic software troubleshooting and debugging.

Audience: Software technical support and escalation engineers, quality assurance engineers, software engineers and developers.

Introduction to Generative Software Narratology

The second Webinar to introduce software narratology: an application of ideas from narratology to software narrative stories. The first webinar materials are available here. When software executes it gives us its stories in the form of software traces and logs. Such stories can be analysed for their structure and patterns. This software narrative plane has a corresponding source code narrative plane with its own structure and patterns useful for software troubleshooting and debugging.

Introduction to Generative Software Narratology Logo

Date: 13th of January, 2014
Time: 19:00 (GMT)
Duration: 60 minutes

Prerequisites: Basic software troubleshooting and debugging.

Audience: Software technical support and escalation engineers, quality assurance engineers, software engineers and developers.

Professional Diagnostics and Debugging Development Program

Software Diagnostics Services is planning to start PD3P. Its curricular combines the best of its software diagnostics and debugging training courses, presentations, webinars, books, Software Diagnostics Library and Debugging TV.

Introduction to Philosophy of Software Diagnostics

Learn from this Webinar about phenomenological, hermeneutical and analytical approaches to software diagnostics and its knowledge, foundations, norms, theories, logic, methodology, language, ontology, nature and truth. This seminar is hosted by Software Diagnostics Services.

 Introduction to Philosophy of Software Diagnostics Logo

Title: Introduction to Philosophy of Software Diagnostics
Date: 13th of May, 2013
Time: 19:00 BST
Duration: 30 minutes

Pattern-Oriented Network Trace Analysis

Software Narratology found its successful application in software diagnostics of abnormal software behavior in software logs. Join this Webinar to learn about its new application to network trace analysis with examples from Network Monitor and Wireshark.

Pattern-Oriented Network Trace Analysis Logo

Title: Pattern-Oriented Network Trace Analysis
Date: 27th of June, 2013
Time: 19:00 BST
Duration: 60 minutes

Happy New Year 2013!

Following a tradition to greet in memory dump analysis style we post this fragment from WinDbg output:

0:000> u
00000000`00002012 f4 hlt
00000000`00002013 ?? ???
                  ^ Memory access error in 2013

Malware Narratives

Software Narratology, the science of software stories, found its successful application in software diagnostics of abnormal software behavior especially in the pattern-driven and pattern-based analysis of software logs from complex systems with millions of events, thousands of threads, hundreds of processes and modules. Join this Webinar to learn about its new application to malware analysis.

Malware Narratives Logo

Title: Malware Narratives: Applied Software Narratology
Date: 25th of March, 2013
Time: 19:00 GMT
Duration: 60 minutes

The Exception Point

This is the first novella to be written by applying software narratology and trace analysis patterns to history and is planned for publication in Spring 2015 (ISBN: 978-1908043412). Book description:

Russia, 1908, June 30, 7:14 a.m., the court of Tsar Nicholas II is wiped out by an impact, an enormous explosion over St. Petersburg. In an ensuring chaos State Duma takes power over Imperial Russia changing the course of World history forever. Russia, 2017, an alternative history novella is published about the Tunguska event that missed the capital of Russia...

2013 - The Year of Software Diagnostics

Defined in 2012, software diagnostics discipline needs a year of dedicated development to further advance its body of knowledge including theoretical foundations and practical tools.

Introduction to Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics

Learn how pattern-based software diagnostics, troubleshooting and debugging address software post-construction problem solving pattern life cycle: from the discovery of a new pattern through its integration into an existing pattern catalog and pattern language, testing, packaging and delivering to pattern consumers with subsequent usage, refactoring and writing case studies. This seminar is hosted by Software Diagnostics Services.

Introduction to Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics Logo

Title: Introduction to Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics
Date: 14th of January, 2013
Time: 18:00 GMT
Duration: 60 minutes

A Pattern Language for Network Trace Analysis

We propose to use Trace Analysis Patterns (on the right column) in network trace analysis. For details please see this article:

http://www.dumpanalysis.org/blog/index.php/2012/07/19/network-trace-anal...

Introduction to Systemic Software Diagnostics: Systems Thinking in Memory Dump and Software Trace Analysis

Learn from this free second Memory Dump Analysis Services software diagnostics Webinar how to apply systems theory and thinking for the effective and efficient analysis of abnormal software behavior: the foundation of software troubleshooting and debugging. The seminar summarizes 6 years of research done by Software Diagnostics Institute.

 Introduction to Systemic Software Diagnostics Logo

Title: Introduction to Systemic Software Diagnostics: Systems Thinking in Memory Dump and Software Trace Analysis
Date: 17th of September, 2012
Time: 19:00 (BST) 14:00 (EST) 11:00 (PST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Unified Software Diagnostics and Pattern-Driven Software Support

Welcome to the new scalable and cost-effective software support model devised to address various shortcomings in existing tiered software support organizations. Don't miss an opportunity to learn about its foundation during a free Webinar organized by Memory Dump Analysis Services:

 Introduction to Pattern-Driven Software Diagnostics Logo

Date: 25th of June, 2012
Time: 17:00 (BST) 12:00 (EST) 09:00 (PST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Victimware: The Missing Part of the Equation

Some software components are innocent victims of other component coding mistakes or deliberate subversion and some start as a part of crimeware and malware but eventually become victims themselves (they crash, hang, spike, leak, are dumped, subverted, etc). Learn about unified malware and victimware analysis by using behavioral and structural patterns including a live memory dump analysis example.

Victimware Analysis Webinar Logo

Date: 16th of July, 2012
Time: 17:00 (BST) 12:00 (EST) 09:00 (PST)
Duration: 45 minutes

x86/x64 Assembly Language and Windows Debugging

Due to many questions on recommended books to learn assembly language for debugging purposes we provide these references:

Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations
x64 Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations

Each book can be read independently although some platform-independent content overlaps. x64 bit book focuses on 64-bit only.

We believe these books provide all necessary motivation, context and practical foundation for other in-depth assembly language textbooks on the market.

The similar book for x64 Mac OS X is in preparation.

Forthcoming Webinar: Introduction to Software Narratology

The first Webinar to introduce software narratology: an application of ideas from narratology to software narrative stories.

Introduction to Software Narratology: An Applied Science of Software Stories Logo

Software Diagnostics Services (PatternDiagnostics.com) organizes a free Webinar:

Learn about this exciting new discipline and a field of research founded by us. When software executes it gives us its stories in the form of UI events, software traces and logs. Such stories can be analyzed for their structure and patterns for troubleshooting, debugging and problem resolution purposes.

Prerequisites: basic software troubleshooting and ability to read software generated logs.

Audience: anyone can benefit from this new perspective: from software users to software engineers and managers.

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