Software Diagnostics Library

Software trace analysis is difficult and it is very common to hear “couldn’t see anything …”. One of advantages of software trace analysis patterns is that we can use that pattern language to write analysis reports. Here I provide an example for an analysis of a CDF trace from Citrix XenApp server. Instead of replying “didn’t find anything suspicious …” an engineer identified the following patterns:

• low Statement Current (sparse trace)
• Significant Event from Vocabulary Index
• Discontinuity for an Adjoint Thread
• Missing Component(s)
• Background Component
• Truncated Trace
• significant Time Delta

Seeing the list of patterns it was much easier to ask questions to aid in further troubleshooting.

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

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 at 1:54 am and is filed under CDF Analysis Tips and Tricks, Software Behavior Patterns, Software Trace Analysis, Software Trace Reading, Structural Trace Patterns, Trace Analysis Patterns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.