Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Pat Styles

Barbara L Kess

Richard M Shupak

Andre F Vachon

Simon M Meacham

Scott A Kupec

Douglas Seth Laundry

Mark David Whidby

Mohammad Jazayeri

Danial George Neault

A method and system for accessing at debug time the source code used to create a binary. During or shortly after compilation, an extractor extracts the names of source code files used to create the binary, communicates with a version control server to obtain information that identifies the versions of source code files used to create the binary, and stores the information in the binary or in a file associated with the binary. At debug time, the information is retrieved and used to obtain copies of the source code files from the version control server. The copies of the source code files are placed in a directory where the debugger expects to find them. The debugger may then show the source code corresponding to the binary instructions of the binary during debugging.

Source server

This present invention extends the mechanism for locating solution access information and then obtaining and implementing the correct solution for updating software programs. The user can communicate with one system on the network, tell it what the user is interested in, and then the system replies on a file by file basis where to locate the desired information. Thus, the user no longer has to register, e.g. in the environment variables, the individual paths for where a multitude of different applications find their additional related information on the network. According to the teachings of the present invention, a user will have to make basically zero changes to the system, and instead will automatically discover the name location of a server that is going to provide the user with the information associated with any user executable file. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention includes a computer implemented method. The method includes querying a first server for a location of a second server containing information associated with a local file. The method further includes querying the second server for the information associated with the local file. The second server then provides the information associated with the executable. Other systems and methods are included within the scope of the present invention.

Information location service

A system and method in which a remote network source maintains source code and symbol files for debugging purposes with automatic downloading of the correct files when they are needed. Files are remotely maintained based on unique data associated with that file (unique parameters) that are independent of the product name, release and/or build number. Such data includes time / date stamp information and file size, or signature and age data. When a given file is needed, such as to debug an executable code module, a symbol server at the client constructs a path (e.g., URL) to the needed file based on the unique information from the corresponding executable file, whereby the correct symbol file is accessed. Via that symbol file, the correct source file may be located and accessed. Security via authentication and access control lists may control access to the files, and authentication may be automatic.

Accessing remote stores of source and symbol data for use by computing tools

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Pat Styles