International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Matthew Francis Peters

Adam J Pilkington

Howard J Hellyer

Richard Nigel Chamberlain

Gordon Douglas Hutchison

Geoffrey Owen Blandy

Robert Tod Dimpsey

Kean G Kuiper

Stephen James Paul Todd

Blazej Czapp

Emma Louise Shepherd

A method captures diagnostic trace information in a computer system having a plurality of software images. Information is received that is associated with a first failure in a first one of the plurality of software images. The received information is distributed to others of the plurality of software images. Further information is captured that is associated with a second failure in another one of the plurality of software images. The information associated with a first failure in a first one of said plurality of software images is combined with the information associated with a second failure in another of said plurality of software images, and the combined information is analyzed in order to determine a cause of the first failure.

Second failure data capture in co-operating multi-image systems

Analyzing a managed runtime cache is provided. A heap associated with a managed runtime environment, where the heap includes an N-generation cache or a plurality of objects associated with a program operating within a managed runtime environment is identified. A snapshot of the heap is produced, wherein the snapshot identifies a memory location for each object of the plurality of objects at which the object is stored. A generation of each of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on the memory location of the object is determined. One or more suggestions based, at least in part, on the memory location of the plurality of objects is provided.

Managed runtime cache analysis

A computer system and computer program captures diagnostic trace information in a computer system having a plurality of software images. Information is received that is associated with a first failure in a first one of the plurality of software images. The received information is distributed to others of the plurality of software images. Further information is captured that is associated with a second failure in another one of the plurality of software images. The information associated with a first failure in a first one of said plurality of software images is combined with the information associated with a second failure in another of said plurality of software images, and the combined information is analyzed in order to determine a cause of the first failure.

A list of classes found in a core dump file is determined. One or more classes requested by a classloader is also determined. A set of one or more classes requested by the classloader that are found in the core dump file is then determined.

Using core files to develop diagnostic programs

A method, apparatus, computer program and computer program product for processing core data produced by a computer process to identify data relevant to the computer process, the method comprising the steps of: identifying core data for a computer process; identifying trace data comprising sequential trace entries for the computer process; selecting a predetermined number of most recent entries in the trace data; identifying any references to a memory address in each selected trace data entry; dereferencing each identified memory address in the core data; and extracting the data from the dereferenced memory location in the core data.

Processing core data produced by a computer process

A method for managing concurrent system dumps of address spaces of memory of a computing system. The method comprises analyzing address space of memory to determine high priority areas and low priority areas of the address space. The method further comprises stopping all application threads of memory. In addition, the method further comprises performing a system dump of all the high priority areas of the address space. Moreover, the method further comprises initiating a background thread that performs a system dump of the low priority areas in background of the address space, and allowing, by the one or more computer processors, all of the application threads of memory to restart.

Concurrent dumping of large address space

A method for creating diagnostic files that includes receiving an error notification indicating that an error has occurred in a particular system section of a system that has a plurality of system sections. The error notification includes information about the error. A diagnostic file that includes a summarized error report of the particular system section is created based on the information included in the error notification. The diagnostic file is saved.

Reduced footprint core files in storage constrained environments

A method of paged memory management for a software process executing in a memory of a computer system, the software process having a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and the software process having associated memory page use information for determining a set of pages to be maintained in the memory. The method comprises recording the memory page use information to a data store as first operating mode memory page use information in response to a determination that the software process leaves the first operating mode, and retrieving the first operating mode memory page use information in response to a determination that the software process enters the first operating mode.

Memory paging

A method for providing synchronized updates to a data record in a data store, the data record including a plurality of data fields, each of the plurality of data fields having an initial field value, the method includes reading the data record from the data store into a data record in memory, each of the plurality of data fields of the data record in the data store having a corresponding data field in the data record in memory, the data fields in the data record in memory having inspectable and modifiable field values; identifying a set of relevant fields comprising at least one of an inspected field and a modified field of the data record in memory; in response to a determination that fields of the data record in the data store corresponding to each of the fields in the set of relevant fields has a value of its initial field value, updating the data record in the data store with the value of modified fields in the data record in memory.

Efficient synchronised updates to a data record in a data store

A system and method for incrementally compacting a computer system heap is presented. A heap, such as a garbage-collected heap in a Java environment, is divided into logical regions. When the heap is becoming fragmented, an incremental compaction cycle is commenced. During a first time period, the first region of the heap is compacted, with subsequent regions being compacted during subsequent time periods. A time period commences when a garbage collection event occurs. In a multiprocessor environment the regions can be divided into a number of sections which are each compacted using a different processor. One or more break tables are constructed indicating how far contiguous groups of moveable objects should be moved to better group objects and eliminate interspersed free spaces. References throughout the heap that point to objects within the compacted region are then adjusted so that the references point to the new object locations.

System and method for compacting a computer system heap

The invention provides a method for providing, from a client computer across a network, a secure password to one or more remote computers. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining a string associated with an application on one of the or each remote computer; obtaining a password from a user of the client computer; combining the string and the password irreversibly to generate a secure password for the application; and providing only the secure password to the one remote computer.

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Winchester, United Kingdom

Matthew Francis Peters