Archive for October 21st, 2012

Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

Pattern-driven software post-construction problem solving involves using preexisting pattern languages and pattern catalogs for software diagnostics, troubleshooting and debugging. Pattern-based software post-construction problem solving addresses PLS (Pattern Life Cycle) - from the discovery of a new pattern through its integration into an existing catalog and language, testing, packaging and delivering to pattern consumers with subsequent usage, refactoring and writing case studies:

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

Posted in Announcements, Debugging, Pattern-Based Debugging, Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics, Software Diagnostics, Software Problem Solving | No Comments »

Trace Analysis Patterns (Part 55)

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

Empty Trace is another trivial missing pattern that we need to add to make software log analysis pattern system complete. It ranges from a totally empty trace message list where only a meta-trace header (if any) describing overall trace structure is present to a few messages where we expect thousands. This is also an extreme case of Truncated Trace, No Activity and Missing Component patterns for a trace taken as a whole. Note, that an empty trace file doesn’t necessarily have a zero file size because a tracing architecture may preallocate some file space for block data writing.

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

Posted in CDF Analysis Tips and Tricks, Software Technical Support, Software Trace Analysis, Trace Analysis Patterns | No Comments »

Trace Analysis Patterns (Part 54)

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

While working on Accelerated Windows Software Trace Analysis training I discovered some missing patterns needed for completeness despite their triviality. One of them is called Error Message. Here an error is reported either explicitly (”operation failed”) or implicitly as an operation status result such as 0xC00000XX. Sometimes, a trace message designer specifies that the number value was supplied for information only and should be ignored. Some error messages may contain information that is not relevant for the current software incident, the so called false positive errors. Some tracing architectures and tools include message information category for errors, such as Citrix CDF (ETW-based) where you filter by error category to get an adjoint thread. Note, that the association of a trace statement with an error category is left at the discretion of an engineer writing code and information category messages may contain implicit errors such as last error and return status reports.

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

Posted in CDF Analysis Tips and Tricks, Debugging, Software Trace Analysis, Trace Analysis Patterns | 2 Comments »