Patent Application
20130007517
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to checkpoint recovery systems. More particularly, embodiments relate to a utility interface that enables enhanced checkpoint recovery operations.
When software applications experience problems, there may be overhead costs associated with recreating and investigating the problems in the absence of proper documentation, particularly when doing so on other computing platforms. Moreover, intermittent problems can lead to multiple instances of unwanted exposure while waiting for a reoccurrence of the problem. While certain checkpoint recovery solutions may provide for resuming execution of an application from the point of a restored state, there remains considerable room for improvement.
Embodiments may include a computer program product having a computer readable storage medium and computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium. If executed by a processor, the computer usable code may execute an application file having a corresponding set of interceptor libraries, and record one or more execution characteristics of the set of interceptor libraries. The computer usable code may also output the one or more execution characteristics via a utility interface.
Embodiments may also involve a computer implemented method in which a recursive dependency analysis is conducted to identify a set of original libraries associated with the application file, wherein the application file includes at least one of an executable file and a library. In one example, the recursive dependency analysis is exhaustive with respect to the application file. The method can also provide for creating a set of interceptor libraries based on the set of original libraries, and preparing an execution environment to support an execution of the set of interceptor libraries in conjunction with an execution of the set of original libraries. The application file may be executed, and one or more execution characteristics of the set of interceptor libraries may be recorded. In addition, the method may involve outputting the one or more execution characteristics via a utility interface, and receiving user input via the utility interface. At least one of the one or more execution characteristics can be modified based on the user input, and the application file may be re-executed.
Other embodiments may include a computer program product having a computer readable storage medium and computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium. If executed by a processor, the computer usable code may conduct a recursive dependency analysis of an application file to identify a set of original libraries associated with the application file, wherein the application file is to include at least one of an executable file and a library. The recursive dependency analysis can be exhaustive with respect to the application file. The computer usable code may also create a set of interceptor libraries based on the set of original libraries, and prepare an execution environment to support an execution of the set of interceptor libraries in conjunction with an execution of the set of original libraries. In addition, the computer usable code can execute the application file, record one or more execution characteristics of the set of interceptor libraries, output the one or more execution characteristics via a utility interface, and receive user input via the utility interface. The computer usable code can also modify at least one of the one or more execution characteristics based on the user input, and re-execute the application file.
The various advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following specification and appended claims, and by referencing the following drawings, in which:
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
Referring now to
In the illustrated example, the application file 10 makes an external call to a library 12a and a library 12d. Accordingly, the libraries 12a, 12d may be considered “dependencies” from the perspective of the application file 10. The utility may therefore in turn read each library 12a, 12d to determine its dependencies. For example, the utility might determine that the library 12a makes external calls to libraries 12b and 12c, whereas the library 12d makes external calls to libraries 12e and 12f. The recursive dependency analysis may continue until the all dependencies have been found and may therefore be considered exhaustive with respect to the application file 10.
As will be discussed in greater detail, the utility can use the set of original libraries 12 to create a set of interceptor libraries 14 (14a-14f), wherein the set of interceptor libraries 14 may enable the utility to record execution characteristics such as method calls made and arguments passed during execution of the application file 10. In particular, the set of original libraries 14 can function as intermediary files that enable the state of execution to be tracked without modifying the application file 10 or any of the original libraries 14.
The environment preparation process may be conducted in a variety of ways. For example, one approach can be to rename the files in the set of original libraries and assign the original file names to the corresponding interceptor libraries. Thus, in the example above, original library 12a (
Turning now to
In addition, an edit button 50 enables the user to modify any of the detail information shown. For example, an internal method call (e.g., “Call1”) could be changed to a different method call, or one of the external call arguments (e.g., “Argd”) may be changed to a different value. In such a case, re-executing the application file 10 may enable the user to debug/troubleshoot the application file 10 without making any substantive changes to the application file 10 or its associated original libraries 12 (
Other example uses of the utility interface 36 include, but are not limited to, making trace entries and determining where trace entries and other logging entries are made. Indeed, it may be useful to separate some of the data into different locations so that core application files write to one location, while other external libraries are directed to write to another location. It may also be useful to store checkpoint recovery information separately from traces, wherein the utility interface 36 can be used to modify the data storage aspects of the individual interceptor libraries 14.
Thus, the illustrated utility 62 can easily implement checkpoint recovery, extra logging, tracing, and/or other debugging features without modifying the environment or the original source code. Accordingly, the utility 62 can be used to eliminate the need to manually embed trace functionality within the original source code of an application file. Moreover, for those applications which have insufficient tracing functionality, the utility 62 may be used to establish any level of logging without modifying the original source code. Additionally, the resulting interceptor libraries can record the information necessary to allow for checkpoint recovery.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are used herein only to facilitate discussion, and carry no particular temporal or chronological significance unless otherwise indicated.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while the embodiments of this invention have been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the embodiments of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.
