Software Diagnostics Library

Memory Dump Analysis Services will be administering certifications developed by Software Diagnostics Institute for memory dump and software trace analysis:

Software Diagnostics Maturity Enterprise Certification
Memory Dump Analysis Certification is available this September

Debugging TV Frames episode 0×10 contains some background information.

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

Memory Dump Analysis Services announces development of the first memory dump analysis certification and is looking for volunteers to participate in its beta program. Please visit its website for further details.

Source: http://www.dumpanalysis.com/anon-beta-exam-mda-bi-w

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

Finally you can even learn a WinDbg command from a certificate. Memory Dump Analysis Services has created a certificate with dv WinDbg command on it:

Source: http://www.dumpanalysis.com/sample-certificate

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

As the new decade is approaching (2011-2020) we would like to make a few previews and predictions:

- Increased complexity of software will bring more methods from biological, social sciences and humanities in addition to existing methods of automated debugging and computer science techniques

- Focus on first fault software problem solving (when aspect)

- Focus on pattern-driven software problem solving (how aspect)

- Fusion of debugging and malware analysis into a unified structural and behavioral pattern framework

- Visual debugging, memory and software trace visualization techniques

- Software maintenance certification

- Focus on domain-driven troubleshooting and debugging tools as a service (debugware TaaS)

- Focus on security issues related to memory dumps and software traces

- New scripting languages and programming language extensions for debugging

- The maturation of the science of memory snapshots and software traces (memoretics)

Imagining is not not limited to the above and more to come and explain in the forthcoming parts.

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

MAaaS includes 2 complementary DA+TA services:

1. Dump Analysis as a Service (DAaaS)
2. Trace Analysis as a Service (TAaaS)

Memory Dump Analysis Services is the first organization to provide such a service at an audit and certification levels.

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

OpenTask to offer first 3 volumes of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology in one set:

The set is available exclusively from OpenTask e-Commerce web site starting from June. Individual volumes are also available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores worldwide.

Product information:

• Title: Modern Memory Dump and Software Trace Analysis: Volumes 1-3
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24
• Paperback: 1600 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (31 May 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-99-5

Information about individual volumes:

• Volume 1
• Volume 2
• Volume 3

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

Plan to start providing training and seminars in my free time. If you are interested please answer these questions (you can either respond here in comments or use this form for private communication http://www.dumpanalysis.org/contact):

• Are you interested in on-site training, prefer traveling or attending webinars?
• Are you interested in software trace analysis as well?
• What specific topics are you interested in?
• What training level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) are you interested in? (please provide an example, if possible)

Additional topics of expertise that can be integrated into training include Source Code Reading and Analysis, Debugging, Windows Architecture, Device Drivers, Troubleshooting Tools Design and Implementation, Multithreading, Deep Down C and C++, x86 and x64 Assembly Language Reading.

Looking forward to your responses. Any suggestions are welcome.

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

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 -

After exciting results of  the previous year of debugging it is time to announce modest plans for this year, 0×7DA:

Release the first beta version of EasyDbg

Release the first beta version of CARE (Crash Analysis Report Environment) for a pattern-driven debugger log analyzer with standards for structured audience-driven reports

Release the first beta version of STARE (Software Trace Analysis Report Environment) for a pattern-driven software trace analyzer with corresponding standards for structured audience-driven reports

Publish the following books on dump analysis that address different audiences (general users, system administrators, support and escalation engineers, testers, software engineers, security and software defect researchers):

- Windows Debugging Notebook
- Crash Dump Analysis for System Administrators and Support Engineers
- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 4
- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 5
- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology Color Supplement
- Principles of Memory Dump Analysis
- My Computer Crashes and Freezes: A Non-technical Guide to Software and Hardware Errors
- Linux, FreeBSD and Mac OS X Debugging: Practical Foundations
- Encyclopedia of Crash Dump Analysis Patterns
- WinDbg In Use: Debugging Exercises

Publish articles related to memory dump analysis in Debugged! magazine

Update WinDbg Poster and Cards

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

“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 -

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 October 2008 - June 2009 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 third volume features:

- 15 new crash dump analysis patterns
- 29 new pattern interaction case studies
- Trace analysis patterns
- Updated checklist
- Fully cross-referenced with Volume 1 and Volume 2
- New appendixes

Product information:

• Title: Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 3
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (20 December 2009)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-43-8

• Hardcover: 404 pages
• Publisher: Opentask (30 January 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-44-5

Back cover features 3D computer memory visualization image.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The digital version of the book is finally available:

x64 Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations

Paperback should be available in 1-2 weeks on Amazon and other stores. When working on the book I fixed errors in the previous x86 version. Errata file for it should be available tomorrow.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

OpenTask plans to expand its Practical Foundations series and publish the following 2 books for the forthcoming Memory Dump Analysis Fundamentals certification (Unix track) being developed by Memory Analysis and Debugging Institute:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Finally the issue is available on Amazon and through other sellers:

Debugged! MZ/PE: Modeling Software Defects

I’m now planning the September issue and post details later. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The second issue of the magazine was put into production today and should be available after one or two weeks on Amazon, B&N and other booksellers worldwide.

Title: Debugged! MZ/PE: Modeling Software Defects
Authors: Konstantin Chebotarev, Kapildev Ramlal, Dmitry Vostokov
ISBN: 1906717680
ISBN-13: 978-1906717681
Annotation: Welcome to the second issue of Debugged! MZ/PE magazine! It brings fault injection into new light and features articles discussing software defect construction via DLL injection, modeling CPU spikes and runaway exception processing. This issue also includes a memory dump analysis certification voucher. Back cover features WinDbg breakpoint and tracing command summary for easy desk reference. - Dmitry Vostokov - Editor-in-Chief

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Got it in the post yesterday shipped via courier from Amazon:

Windows® Internals: Including Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, Fifth Edition (PRO-Developer)

I originally expected it to be a paperback book but as a publisher myself I welcome the final MS Press decision to make it a hardcover. It is more solid. I plan to read it from cover to cover again, starting from tomorrow. I would like to thank authors for including the reference to www.dumpanalysis.org in the conclusion part of the last chapter 14 dedicated to crash dump analysis. This came as a nice surprise for me and I’m going to install a special plaque in the office and put its picture later on my blog.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

“A personal touch in Certification”

Dmitry Vostokov,
Founding Director of
Memory Analysis and Debugging Institute

More details on the previously announced MDA certification. Every certificate will have a separate unique ISBN number and available in bookshops and libraries worldwide. Of course, this comes at a price and it will be announced later. An example of a certificate as a book will be available by the end of July:

Memory Dump Analysis Certificate 0×1 (ISBN: 978-1906717766)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -  

Sometimes I’m asked about a broad software engineering book to recommend for general memory dump analysis that covers software architecture, design methods and diagramming languages like UML, programming languages, concurrency, real-time issues and many other topics you need to know to have systems understanding that helps in problem identification and debugging. Here’s the book that I was fortunate to buy 4-5 years ago in a book shop and is a sheer pleasure to read:

Software Engineering for Real-Time Systems

Today I found that there even exists an OMG certification based on it:

http://www.omg.org/ocres/exam-info.htm

I might try later this summer. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Previously announced memory dump analysis certification will have x86/x64-based tracks for Windows and Unix (including Linux / FreeBSD / Mac OS X). Each track consists of 3 exams, each having its own set of requirements and scope:

• Fundamentals of Memory Dump Analysis
• Intermediate Memory Dump Analysis
• Advanced Memory Dump Analysis

More information will be available later. The initiative is supported by OpenTask.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -