Setting and getting system debug flags by name at runtime

Filing Information

• Patent Number: US5771385
• Application Number: US8623884
• Filing date: 03/29/1996
• Issue date: 06/23/1998
• Predicted expiration date: 03/29/2016

• U.S. Classifications: 395/704  · 395/682  ·
• International Classifications: G06F 944 ·
• International Classifications: 395704;682 ·
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Abstract

In a computing system, debug flags for software development, testing, and debugging of a module of the operating system are retrieved and set. The module under development is provided with a debugging message handler and a lookup table of debugging flags. The table maps the debugging flags to memory locations containing the present state of the flags. A debugging message is generated at the application-level by a user desiring to monitor or alter the state of the debugging flags. The debugging message handler decodes the debugging message using the table, and the module reports or alters the debugging flag accordingly. In this manner, real-time program evaluation and control can be achieved without the conventional debugging software packages.

Independent Claims | See all claims (16)

1. 1. Apparatus for reporting debug value fields in an operating system in a computer, the computer having a processor, an input/output device, and a data storage device, said operation system operating the processor and controlling the data storage device, said processor having a central processing unit, memory and input/output control, said input/output control connected to the input/output device and the data storage device, said apparatus comprising:parse means for parsing a debugging message from an application program, the debugging message having a name field and a value field;a debug symbol table having a plurality of debug symbols with each table entry having a name and a debug symbol address of a storage location for the debug symbol corresponding to the name;search means for searching the debug symbol table for a name matching the name field from the debugging message; andwrite means for writing the value field from the debugging message into the storage location of the debug symbol address whose name matches the name field whereby the value field is reported.
2. 4. In a computing system having a processor, an operating system, and a memory, said operating system controlling said processor, said operating system comprised of a plurality of modules of software, a method for externally monitoring the real-time operation of a module of the operating system so that the module can be debugged by a software developer using an application-level interface, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:maintaining a table, in said module, of debugging flags for examination, each one of said debugging flags having a state and a location in the memory, said table mapping each one of said debugging flags to the location of the debugging flag in the memory;passing a debugging message from said application level interface to the module, said debugging message directing the module to report the state of one of said debugging flags;receiving said debugging message in said module;decoding said debugging message in said module; andreporting the state of one of said debugging flags to the application-level interface responsive to said debugging message.
3. 9. In a computing system having a processor, an operating system, and a memory, said operating system controlling said processor, said operating system comprised of a plurality of modules of software, a method for externally altering the real-time operation of a module of the operating system so that the module can be debugged by a software developer using an application-level interface, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:maintaining a table, in said module, of debugging flags for examination, each one of said debugging flags having a state and a location in the memory, said table mapping each one of said debugging flags to the location of the debugging flag in the memory;passing a debugging message from said application level interface to the module, said debugging message directing the module to alter the state of one of said debugging flags;receiving said debugging message in said module;decoding said debugging message in said module; andaltering the state of one of said debugging flags to the application-level interface responsive to said debugging message.
4. 14. A computer program storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for externally monitoring the real-time operation of a module of the operating system so that the module can be debugged by a software developer using an application-level interface, said computer process comprising the steps of:maintaining a table, in said module, of debugging flags for examination, each one of said debugging flags having a state and a location in the memory, said table mapping each one of said debugging flags to the location of the debugging flag in the memory;passing a debugging message from said application level interface to the module, said debugging message directing the module to report the state of one of said debugging flags;receiving said debugging message in said module;decoding said debugging message in said module; andreporting the state of one of said debugging flags to the application-level interface responsive to said debugging message.