Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Kevin Charles Chase

Jon Barry Avner

Michael Luther Swafford

John Bennetto

Paul John Bowden

Nicole Annette Allen

Weiguo Zhang

Paul J Bowden

Automated multiple step tasks are executed on a computing device to analyze a computer system. A step engine performs a complex task such as troubleshooting, performance analysis, or disaster recovery as defined by an input file. The step engine parses the input file into individual steps and dispatches actions of the steps to another device for execution. The device returns a file with the results of the action. The step engine progresses through the list of steps and generates a log file representative of the actions taken and data collected during performance of the task.

Automated analysis tasks of complex computer system

A flexible, extensible, uniform, and efficient framework for retrieving and analyzing data from a number of different data sources is disclosed. Instructions for retrieving and analyzing data are provided in a configuration file that is defined in a common format irrespective of the different data sources. The configuration file is submitted to a dispatcher, which uses the information therein to dispatch a number of data source collectors. Each such data source collector is unique to a corresponding data source and is able to formulate an efficient method for retrieving the necessary data from its corresponding data source. An analyzer then analyzes the retrieved data according to the instructions in the configuration file.

System and method for retrieving and analyzing data from a variety of different sources

A data structure within a block of allocable memory of a memory structure such as a heap is used to store an overwrite detection pattern. When memory is passed back to the operation system for any reason (typically freeing the memory, reallocating a larger/smaller buffer, or querying the size of the allocation), the overwrite detection pattern is usually checked. If the overwrite pattern has been modified, an access violation can be forced.

Overwrite detection diagnostic for memory heap

A data structure within a block of allocable memory of a memory structure such as a heap is used to identify the function that is responsible for causing memory problems such as random overwrites, buffer overruns, double or multiple 'frees,' and the like. The data structure can use the return address of the function that allocates or frees the allocable memory block to identify the caller. An identifier for the function is generated and stored in the allocable memory block.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Kevin Charles Chase