Software Diagnostics and Observability Institute

Software Narratology, the science of software stories, found its successful application in software diagnostics of abnormal software behavior especially in the pattern-driven and pattern-based analysis of software logs from complex systems with millions of events, thousands of threads, hundreds of processes and modules. Join this Webinar to learn about its new application to malware analysis.

Title: Malware Narratives: Applied Software Narratology
Date: 25th of March, 2013
Time: 19:00 GMT
Duration: 60 minutes

This is the first novella to be written by applying software narratology and trace analysis patterns to history and is planned for publication in Spring 2015 (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...

Defined in 2012, software diagnostics discipline needs a year of dedicated development to further advance its body of knowledge including theoretical foundations and practical tools.

Learn how pattern-based software diagnostics, troubleshooting and debugging address software post-construction problem solving pattern life cycle: from the discovery of a new pattern through its integration into an existing pattern catalog and pattern language, testing, packaging and delivering to pattern consumers with subsequent usage, refactoring and writing case studies. This seminar is hosted by Software Diagnostics Services.

Title: Introduction to Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics
Date: 14th of January, 2013
Time: 18:00 GMT
Duration: 60 minutes

We propose to use Trace Analysis Patterns (on the right column) in network trace analysis. For details please see this article:

http://www.dumpanalysis.org/blog/index.php/2012/07/19/network-trace-anal...

Learn from this free second Memory Dump Analysis Services software diagnostics Webinar how to apply systems theory and thinking for the effective and efficient analysis of abnormal software behavior: the foundation of software troubleshooting and debugging. The seminar summarizes 6 years of research done by Software Diagnostics Institute.

Title: Introduction to Systemic Software Diagnostics: Systems Thinking in Memory Dump and Software Trace Analysis
Date: 17th of September, 2012
Time: 19:00 (BST) 14:00 (EST) 11:00 (PST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Welcome to the new scalable and cost-effective software support model devised to address various shortcomings in existing tiered software support organizations. Don't miss an opportunity to learn about its foundation during a free Webinar organized by Memory Dump Analysis Services:

Date: 25th of June, 2012
Time: 17:00 (BST) 12:00 (EST) 09:00 (PST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Some software components are innocent victims of other component coding mistakes or deliberate subversion and some start as a part of crimeware and malware but eventually become victims themselves (they crash, hang, spike, leak, are dumped, subverted, etc). Learn about unified malware and victimware analysis by using behavioral and structural patterns including a live memory dump analysis example.

Date: 16th of July, 2012
Time: 17:00 (BST) 12:00 (EST) 09:00 (PST)
Duration: 45 minutes

Due to many questions on recommended books to learn assembly language for debugging purposes 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.

The similar book for x64 Mac OS X is in preparation.

The first Webinar to introduce software narratology: an application of ideas from narratology to software narrative stories.

Software Diagnostics Services (PatternDiagnostics.com) organizes a free Webinar:

Learn about this exciting new discipline and a field of research founded by us. 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.

Prerequisites: basic software troubleshooting and ability to read software generated logs.

Audience: anyone can benefit from this new perspective: from software users to software engineers and managers.

We wish you all the best for the forthcoming year 2012. Let it be a spiking year for you! We created a special picture based on CPU and memory timing diagram (an optimistic version of the original computicart):

For details please visit our blog.

0. The design and development of SPDL (Software Problem Description Language) with a purpose to automatic generation of software troubleshooting tools based on the description of a problem. Please visit this archival link for more details: http://www.dumpanalysis.org/blog/index.php/category/spdl/

1. The design and development of memory-oriented operating system where memory is the foundation of the whole architecture from the ground up. Please visit this archival link for more details: http://www.dumpanalysis.org/blog/index.php/category/memory-os/

Treat yourself, your family and friends with this selection of gifts:

The perfect binary gift for your family and friends	The perfect gift for software engineers	The perfect gift for job hunters	The perfect coffee table book

The second annual competition was held between 7/7/2011 and 8/8/2011 and the following winners were selected (in alphabetical order):

- Jason Copenhaver
  sent his "Debugging the Debugger" story

- Philip Hamer
  nominated for "Software Hooks" story

- Loren Zhai
  submitted his story

All winners will get Memory Dump Analysis Anthology: Color Supplement for Volumes 1-3 and Memory Dump Analysis Anthology: Color Supplement for Volumes 4-5 signed by the author.

Jason Copenhaver was also selected to get the main prize: 5 volumes of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology.

We have started a newspaper: Debugging Today

Mad about debugging? Join the annual competition by telling your Windows debugging story (*) or nominating a person after 7/7/2011 and before 8/8/2011 (**). This year main prize is 5 volumes of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology + Color Supplement for Volumes 1-3 + Color Supplement for Volumes 4-5 with supplements signed by the author.

Please send your story or nominate someone using this page: http://www.dumpanalysis.org/contact or dmitry dot vostokov at dumpanalysis dot org (if your story is formatted with pictures)

(*) DumpAnalysis.org reserves the right to publish your story (in a modified form if necessary) in OpenTask magazines and books with full credit.

(**) 7/7 and 8/8 are originally proposed Memory Analysts and Debuggers Days.

Winners of 2010 Competition: http://www.dumpanalysis.org/debugging-competition-2010

Useful debugging information, techniques, examples, best practices, tool tips and tricks are scattered across many blogs and websites. It is often hard to find what one is needed for problem resolution. OpenTask publisher plans a multi-volume project tentatively called The Anthology of Debugging to compile the best of independent articles and blog posts into printed and digital volumes. Additional topics of interest to debuggers will include but not limited to internals, disassembling and reverse engineering, source and binary code analysis.

The first volume is projected to be published after this summer (ISBN: 978-1908043276). All potential authors will be contacted for their permission, will retain their copyright and their included articles will point to the original source. Additionally, the participants will have an opportunity to include a short bio and other relevant information.

The first Webinar to start an in-depth discussion of a uniform methodology and tools for analysis of crashes, hangs, and other types of abnormal software behaviour in cloud environments.

Memory Dump Analysis Services (DumpAnalysis.com) organizes a free Webinar

Date: 13th of June 2011
Time: 18:45 (BST) 13:45 (EST) 10:45 (PST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Topics include:

• What's old
• What's new
• Orbifold memory spaces
• Methodology and best practices
• Cloud-specific patterns
• Hands-on exercises

Prerequisites: working knowledge of basic memory dump analysis or live debugging.

MIA has been established to study and promote intelligence analysis based on trace analysis patterns.

For details please visit our blog.

Presentation of pattern-driven software trace analysis with examples from application and desktop delivery environments at E2E Virtualization Conference (PubForum) in Dublin on 13th of May, 2011.

Topics include a case study covering simultaneous analysis of software traces and memory dumps. The full transcript with extras will be published afterwards.

Virtual event to learn how to analyze blockages, delays, obstructions, preventions, and stoppages!

The slide is from a presentation Introduction to Pattern-Driven Software Problem Solving

The first Webinar to start an in-depth discussion of pattern-driven software troubleshooting, debugging and maintenance.

Memory Dump Analysis Services (DumpAnalysis.com) organizes a free Webinar:

Date: 25th of March 2011
Time: 18:30 (GMT) 14:30 (EST) 11:30 (PST)
Duration: 60 minutes

Topics include:

• A Short History of DumpAnalysis.org
• Memory Dump Analysis Patterns
• Troubleshooting and Debugging Tools (Debugware) Patterns
• Software Trace Analysis Patterns
• From Software Defects to Software Behavior
• Workaround Patterns
• Structural Memory Patterns
• Memory Analysis Domain Pattern Hierarchy
• New Directions

Prerequisites: experience in software troubleshooting and/or debugging

This specially designed logo explores the concept of a face as a combination of dump and trace artifacts:

Join Facebook DATA (Dump Analysis + Trace Analysis) group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dumpanalysis/

We announce the start of the ultimate multi- and cross-platform debugging reference project. Useful for years to come, this encyclopedia would cover all aspects of debugging with articles from leading experts from both industry and academia. Preliminary product information:

• Title: Encyclopedia of Debugging
• Editor: Dmitry Vostokov
• Hardcover: 1200 pages
• Publisher: OpenTask (March 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-1-908043-12-2

DumpAnalysis.org portal is looking for a sponsor for the ultimate malware, memory analyst and debugger's desk: monitors joined together to form 360-degree surveillance ring with an analyst in the center.

If you or your company would like to become the sponsor: please use this contact form: http://www.dumpanalysis.org/contact

The Year of Dump Analysis, 0x7DA, was another remarkable year for DumpAnalysis.org. Here is the list of major achievements to report:

- Proposed software narratological framework

- Extended the concept of multithreading with adjoint threading

- After recognizing victimware as a counterpart to crimeware established Victimware.org (currently points to Memory Dump, Software Trace, Debugging and Malware Analysis Portal)

- Established the Dublin School of Security

- Proposed using category theory for memory dump analysis as an alternative to set-theoretical frameworks

- Made Memory Dump Analysis Anthology available to major universities, Fortune 50 companies, leading training organizations, and libraries worldwide via Safari Books Online

- Secured the first Memory Dump Analysis Audit Service and its subsidiary Tool Objects: Unified Troubleshooting and Debugging to become portal sponsors

- Completely redesigned Debugging Experts Magazine Online

- Contributed to two issues of Debugged! MZ/PE magazine: Multithreading and Tools for Software Problem Solving

- Published the 4th volume of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology with color supplement

- Prepared material for the 5th volume of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology (to be published in January, 2011)

- Organized the first Debugging Jokes Competition and the first Tell Your Windows Debugging Story Competition

- Established the Metaphysical Society of Ireland to promote memory dump worldview

- Helped to deliver Fundamentals of Complete Crash and Hang Memory Dump Analysis webinar

- Established the Museum of Debugging and Memory Dumps (the 1st exhibition opens in 2011)

- Introduced Unified Debugging patterns, Workaround patterns and Structural Memory Analysis patterns

- Proposed and organized the first Memory Analysts and Debuggers Day (to be celebrated annually)

- Continued working on CARE research project and published its reference architecture

- Unified memory dump and software trace analysis patterns as software behavior patterns

- Memory Dump Analysis Anthology got international recognition when Korean translation of 1st volume was published.

... and much more including many new memory dump and software trace analysis patterns, pattern icons, pattern models, and pattern-driven analysis case studies.