| 摘要 |
The present invention provides a dynamic connection for distributed applications that need to locate application development tools, including but not limited to debuggers, trace collection tools, compilers, etc.) which may be running on different machines, and to send the tools messages. The program requesting debugging service (i.e., a debugger client) sends, to a tool locator, criteria which specifies the properties of a desired debugger. The tool locator maintains a registry of all tools, e.g. debuggers, and their properties, which remain active within the network by receiving tool registration information from each tool as it is started on any machine within the network. When a message is received by the tool locator from a debugger client specifying the criteria of a desired debugger, the tool locator searches its registry and returns a list of debuggers matching the specified properties along with a communication endpoint address that can be used to establish a connection with a debugger meeting the criteria. The debugger client then sends a message, using the established connection, to the desired debugger requesting debugging services on behalf of the debugger client or another program. As a result, a dynamic connection is made, at run time, between an application program and a debugger having certain desired properties wherein the debugger may be active, if at all, at any time on any machine within the network.
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