Forward post-execution software debugger

摘要

A method and system debug a computer program by using trace data, which is a recording of the sequence of machine instructions executed by a program during a time period along with the addresses and values of memory locations accessed and modified by each machine instruction. After the time period, the method and system use the trace data to simulate the execution of the program during the time period under the control of a debugger. In addition, the method and system use the trace data to simulate the execution of the program during the time period backwards in time under the control of the debugger.

主权项

1. A method of finding an error in a computer program comprising:
recording trace data from an execution of the computer program for a time period; setting a plurality of access breakpoints in the computer program; simulating a portion of the execution of the computer program as recorded in the trace data in the same order with respect to the order in which the trace data was recorded until one of a plurality of conditions is met, wherein one of the plurality of conditions is an attempt to access a memory location associated with one of the plurality of access breakpoints; and inputting a start command to continue simulating a portion of the execution of the computer program as recorded in the trace data in the reverse order with respect to the order in which the trace data was recorded until one of a plurality of conditions is met, wherein one of the plurality of conditions is an attempt to access a memory location associated with one of the plurality of access breakpoints.