Software Diagnostics Library

The new SF novella to be published this year: Holes of Infinity (ISBN 978-1-908043436). Book description:

The year 1000001. Intergalactic flight is in deep past. Humans switch between holes on manifold computers to navigate through parallel universes. Some universes are fine-tuned for usage as a library storage and others as universal computers. A researcher finds an ancient desktop machine description in one of the universal libraries and builds a working copy.  Fascinated by the ability of ancients to switch between windows to navigate through different views of the same data the researcher discovers a long sought fine-tuning constant that will transform one of universes into a world suitable for colonization. A new era begins…

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

This is the title of a novella to be published in Spring 2013 (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…

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

I was very pleased to find out this book that uses WinDbg as OS reversing tool. Not only you learn a very important aspect of Windows internals related to crash and hang memory dump analysis (all crash processing starts from memory manager) but you also learn many WinDbg commands from practical reversing experiments. I was even more pleased to find the output of WinDbg command on the page 0, before even the table of contents.

What Makes It Page?: The Windows 7 (x64) Virtual Memory Manager

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

Was browsing Amazon and found this book with a cover like an artificially colored memory image and text in black gaps but rotated by 90 degrees counterclockwise:

Noise Channels: Glitch and Error in Digital Culture (Electronic Mediations)

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

The cover of the latest Economist issue arrived today picturing a third industrial revolution prompted me to write about Software as means of production that I was thinking for sometime and even created a Software Generalist Party you are welcome to join. Software generalists are the future driving force of society change and I started working on a work comparable to Marx’s Capital called Software, Volume 1 subtitled as A Critical Analysis of Industrial Production (ISBN: 978-1908043375). It will also include an analysis of new emerging commodities such as memories.

After 4 years in print this bestselling title needs an update to address minor changes, include extra examples and reference additional research published in Volumes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

• Title: Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 1
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Publisher: OpenTask (Summer 2012)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24

• Paperback: 800 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-1-908043-35-1

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-1-908043-36-8

The cover for both paperback and hardcover titles will also have a matte finish. We used A Memory Window artwork for the back cover.

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

In a week this short full color book should appear in online bookstores:

• Title: Software Narratology: An Introduction to the Applied Science of Software Stories
• Authors: Dmitry Vostokov, Memory Dump Analysis Services
• Description: This is a transcript of Memory Dump Analysis Services Webinar about Software Narratology: an exciting new discipline and a field of research founded by DumpAnalysis.org. 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. Topics also include software narremes and their types, anticipatory software construction and software diagnostics.
• Publisher: OpenTask (April 2012)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 28.0 x 21.6
• Paperback: 26 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-1908043078

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

Due to many questions on recommended books to learn assembly language asked during Accelerated Windows Memory Dump Analysis training sessions 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.

I’m also working on the similar book for x64 Mac OS X.

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

There are many lists for great books but I’d like to share the one that have a more personal touch. These books I wanted to read on the first sight and devoured them when I had an occasion.

First book that made a great impression on me was C Programming Language which I saw and read in 1987 (in Russian translation with very nice hardcover binding). There was a C implementation available on a PDP-11 clone I worked with at that time.

Another book that reinforced my better function prototype reading and pointer declarations was Expert C Programming.

I confess I had a long trouble understanding C++ long back ago despite reading The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup (reading several editions) and Effective C++ series by Scott Meyers partly because of my long practice of Win32 programming using C and partly because I didn’t understand why I needed C++ to do the same. Popular books such as C++ for Real Programmers (in Russian translation) terrified me with their complexity (although I made honest efforts to read them from cover to cover). However, when I saw and started reading the book Advanced CORBA Programming with C++ I really understood why we needed C++ and how it all worked.

After that rereading The C++ Programming Language and (More) Effective C++ books was a great pleasure.

The other part of C++, STL was greatly clarified by reading the following book in 2003 from cover to cover (at that time the first edition): The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference.

Inside the C++ Object Model book clarified C++ implementation issues and helped later with crash dump analysis of C++ programs.

I plan to continue this “Great Impression” series with other topics and also to publish a recommended reading list for C++ based on books from my personal library that started growing when I was an employee at Programming Research in 2001 - 2003:

The row of books is all about C++. Except the big thick red book about English language grammar (as I became interested in other grammars than C++) The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language:

Now !ad debugger command: I’m developing a traning course Deep Down C++ with Memory Dump Analysis.

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

Discovered this forthcoming book and immediately preordered:

Inside Windows Debugging: A Practical Guide to Debugging and Tracing Strategies in Windows

From Safari Books Online table of contents I see it also includes Event Tracing for Windows:

http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/-/9780735671348

Looking forward to reading it and writing a review.

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

Advanced training sessions time may not suitable due to different geographic time zones. So I have decided to publish this training in a book format (currently in PDF) and make it available in paperback on Amazon and B&N later. Book details:

• Title: Advanced Windows Memory Dump Analysis with Data Structures: Training Course Transcript and WinDbg Practice Exercises with Notes
• Description: The full transcript of Memory Dump Analysis Services Training with 10 step-by-step exercises, notes, and selected Q&A.
• Authors: Dmitry Vostokov, Memory Dump Analysis Services
• Publisher: OpenTask (January 2012)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 28.0 x 21.6
• Paperback: 180 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-1908043344

Table of Contents

Now available for sale in PDF format from Memory Dump Analysis Services.

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

In order to understand the politics of cyberwar in historical context it is beneficial to know the world history and especially the history of USA. Cyberconflicts and cyberwars are modern extensions of the previous power-driven tensions and conflicts. Knowing very little about actual USA history limited by school education in Soviet Union I found this almost 700 page book (UK paperback Penguin edition) written from a supposedly detached European perspective and read it from cover to cover:

America, Empire of Liberty: A New History of the United States

Which state will become an “Empire of Cyberwar” is my next question? Or such an empire will be at a supranational (suprastate) level? Looking forward to reading not yet written A Cyber History of the United States.

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

This is a new exiting book project I’m working on now scheduled for release in 2012 with ISBN 978-1908043337. If your company would like to have its programs considered for inclusion please let me know and send a copy just in case I would need to include screenshots. I’ll update about this project soon.

During the previous several months some companies and individuals expressed their interest in the training (the next one is scheduled for January) but its time was not suitable due to different geographic time zones. So I have decided to publish this training in a book format (currently in PDF) and make it available in paperback on Amazon and B&N later. Book details:

• Title: Accelerated .NET Memory Dump Analysis: Training Course Transcript and WinDbg Practice Exercises with Notes
• Description: The full transcript of Memory Dump Analysis Services Training with 7 step-by-step exercises, notes, source code of specially created modeling applications and selected Q&A. Covers 20 .NET memory dump analysis patterns plus additional unmanaged patterns.
• Authors: Dmitry Vostokov, Memory Dump Analysis Services
• Publisher: OpenTask (November 2011)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 28.0 x 21.6
• Paperback: 204 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-1908043320

Table of Contents

Now available for sale in PDF format from Memory Dump Analysis Services.

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

The new 6th volume contains revised, edited, cross-referenced, and thematically organized selected DumpAnalysis.org blog posts about memory dump and software trace analysis, software troubleshooting and debugging written in November 2010 - October 2011 for software engineers developing and maintaining products on Windows platforms, quality assurance engineers testing software on Windows platforms, technical support and escalation engineers dealing with complex software issues, and security researchers, malware analysts and reverse engineers. The sixth volume features:

• 56 new crash dump analysis patterns including 14 new .NET memory dump analysis patterns
• 4 new pattern interaction case studies
• 11 new trace analysis patterns
• New Debugware pattern
• Introduction to UI problem analysis patterns
• Introduction to intelligence analysis patterns
• Introduction to unified debugging pattern language
• Introduction to generative debugging, metadefect template library and DNA of software behaviour
• The new school of debugging and trends
• .NET memory dump analysis checklist
• Software trace analysis checklist
• Introduction to close and deconstructive readings of a software trace
• Memory dump analysis compass
• Computical and Stack Trace Art
• The abductive reasoning of Philip Marlowe
• Orbifold memory space and cloud computing
• Memory worldview
• Interpretation of cyberspace
• Relationship of memory dumps to religion
• Fully cross-referenced with Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, and Volume 5

Product information:

• Title: Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 6
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (December 2011)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-908043-19-1

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (January 2012)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-908043-20-7

Back cover features 3d memory space visualization image created with ParaView.

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

Just noticed on Amazon that the new 6th edition of Windows Internals is planned for the next year and so I pre-ordered my copy. According to publication data it will now be released in parts: Windows Internals, Part 1: Covering Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7

However, the first part seems to be voluminous: more than 1,300 pages and it makes my job to finish writing Windows Internals Distilled (ISBN: 978-1906717247) difficult than ever Moreover, I will probably need to restart my Windows Internals reading notes on Software Generalist blog.

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

First, we announced Debugging TV and its first weekly program called Frames where each episode features some facet of debugging, memory dump, and software trace analysis in 8 minutes. The first episode is about symbol files plus extra 8 minutes to ask questions.

Debugging TV Frame 0×01
Date: Friday, October 7, 2011
Time: 5:45 PM - 6:01 PM BST

Space is limited.
Reserve your seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/640694470

Second, Accelerated Windows Memory Dump Analysis book became available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Third, a recording of Fundamentals of Complete Crash and Hang Memory Dump Analysis (Revision 2) Webinar was made available for viewing.

Fourth, I’m working now on the next 5 crash dump analysis patterns to be published this week.

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

Just noticed this book and pre-ordered it:

Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software

I like the cover picture - I recently bought a Dell Alienware laptop just to do malware and victimware analysis

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

During the previous several months many people expressed their interest in the training (the next one is scheduled for November) but its time was not suitable due to the very different geographic time zones. So I have decided to publish this training in book format (currently in PDF) and make it available in paperback on Amazon and B&N later. Book details:

• Title: Accelerated Windows Memory Dump Analysis: Training Course Transcript and WinDbg Practice Exercises with Notes
• Description: The full transcript of Memory Dump Analysis Services Training with 21 step-by-step exercises, notes, source code of specially created modeling applications and selected Q&A. Covers about 50 crash dump analysis patterns from process, kernel and complete memory dumps.
• Authors: Dmitry Vostokov, Memory Dump Analysis Services
• Publisher: OpenTask (August 2011)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 28.0 x 21.6
• Paperback: 360 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-1908043290

Table of Contents

Now available for sale in PDF format from Memory Dump Analysis Services.

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

The following books have been published and available on Amazon and B&N:

- Hardcover version of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 5

- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology: Color Supplement for Volumes 4-5

- Introduction to Pattern-Driven Software Problem Solving

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