Software Diagnostics Library

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 -

Internal Process Combustion (to be featured on Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 4 backcover):

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

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

The Year of Debugging, 0×7D9, was a remarkable year for DumpAnalysis.org. Here is the list of achievements to report:

- Software Trace Analysis as a new discipline with its own set of patterns

- Unification of Memory Dump Analysis with Software Trace Analysis (DA+TA)

- New computer memory dump-based art movements: Opcodism and Physicalist Art

- Discovery of 3D computer memory visualization techniques

- Establishing Software Maintenance Institute

- Broadening software fault injection as Software Defect Construction discipline

- Establishing a new profession of a Software Defect Researcher

- Starting ambitious Dictionary of Debugging

- Publishing Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations book

- Publishing the first x86-free Windows debugging book: x64 Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations

- Establishing the new debugging magazine: Debugged! MZ/PE

- Publishing Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 3

- Cooperation with OpenTask to promote First Fault Software Problem Solving book

- Establishing Debugging Expert(s) Magazine Online

- Creating the first development process for debugging and software troubleshooting tools: RADII

- Publishing the first pattern-driven memory dump analysis troubleshooting methodology as a foundation for software debugging

- Proposal for an International Memory Analysts and Debuggers Day

- Almost completed Windows Debugging Notebook to be published soon

Now DumpAnalysis.org focuses on The Year of Dump Analysis, 0×7DA, as a foundation for the forthcoming debugging decade and reveals future plans this weekend.

I’m sure that many other organizations and individuals have no less remarkable accomplishments to report for 2009. I promise to track down and write about some of them in the forthcoming book:

The Science of Dr. Watson: An Illustrated History of Debugging (ISBN: 978-1906717070)

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

A few have probably noticed (following numerous Twitter updates) my preference for combining lunches with book and  magazine (a mini-book) reading (also combined with Mod N reading system). From now on this activity obtains the status of a ritual in Memorianity and depicted on this physicalist art picture (the choice of book titles is arbitrary and fully coincidental for this post):

- Dmitry Vostokov @ Memory Religion Portal -

Some practical engineers asked me how do Debugged! MZ/PE magazine back covers look like from a birds eye view:

One engineer even commented that they look better and better (counterclockwise) :-) 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.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 -

Memorianity soon to publish its Testament with 7 microkernel prophecies, childhood universal memory dump visions of its founder, the recollection of a conversion and other supporting materials. This full color scripture is small to carry around:

Title: Memory Religion: A Testament
ISBN-13: 978-1906717476
Pages: 24

The cover image is an allegorical interpretation of the concept of the Original Defect:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ Memory Religion Portal -

“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.

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 -

I plan to publish a gigabyte. The book cover and data can be found here:

Gigabyte product information

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Some impressions after a day of memory dump analysis.

Memory Space Road to The Ultimate Fix (click to enlarge)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Inspired by a manifold memory space.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Inspired by qubic memory.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Materials: A3 paper, a bug, hot chilli sauce

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The best of artistic work commissioned by OpenTask to be published with annotations in the following book scheduled to open 2010, The Year of The Foundation of Debugging (Crash Dump Analysis):

Spikes, Hangs, Crashes, Leaks and Dumps of Imagination: The Art of the Debugging Art (ISBN: 978-1906717841)

Note: This is not a book about natural computer memory visualization.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

More images mined today:

Equalizer

Labyrinth of Code

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Welcome to Physicalist Art that has its foundation in Physicalism. The first physicalist composition was on display today and I took a picture of it (weather condition was not good):

Material: blue agate

It was originally called “Blue in a gate: memory dump and minidumps”. I plan to reinstall it again with more elaborate surroundings.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Opcodism art is not limited to assembly language code and binary installations. It also provides beautiful color illustrations of processor opcodes and instructions. In this post I provide illustrations of NOP, PAUSE and INT 3 instructions generated by Dump2Picture from memory dump images of crashed 1MbNop and 1MbPause processes.

0:000> lmp
start             end                 module name
00000000`77030000 00000000`7715d000   kernel32     
00000000`77230000 00000000`773b6000   ntdll
00000001`40000000 00000001`40144000   1MbNop
000007fe`fd1c0000 000007fe`fd1f5000   apphelp
000007fe`fdaf0000 000007fe`fdc33000   rpcrt4
000007fe`ff400000 000007fe`ff508000   advapi32

8 bit image of 1Mb NOP field fenced by INT 3 wall:

16 bit image of 1Mb NOP field fenced by INT 3 wall:

24 bit image of 1Mb NOP field fenced by INT 3 wall:

32 bit image of 1Mb NOP field fenced by INT 3 wall:

0:000> lmp
start             end                 module name
00000000`77030000 00000000`7715d000   kernel32
00000000`77230000 00000000`773b6000   ntdll
00000001`40000000 00000001`40284000   1MbPause

8 bit image of 1Mb PAUSE field fenced by INT 3 wall:

The same as above but PAUSE / INT 3 transition magnified:

16 bit image of 1Mb PAUSE field fenced by INT 3 wall:

24 bit image of 1Mb PAUSE field fenced by INT 3 wall:

The same as above but PAUSE / INT 3 transition magnified:

32 bit image of 1Mb PAUSE field fenced by INT 3 wall:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -