David Richard Keyser

US Patent:

59283696, Jul 27, 1999

Filed:

Jun 28, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/672550

Inventors:

David Michael Keyser - San Jose CA
Dennis Murray Baylor - Los Altos CA

Assignee:

Synopsys, Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G06F 1130

US Classification:

714 47

Abstract:

A system and method for automatically analyzing a program system error. In one embodiment, the present invention electronically receives a stack trace of a program which has suffered an unknown system error. The present invention then compares the electronically received stack trace with a reference stack trace having a known system error associated therewith. In so doing, the present invention determines the similarity between the electronically received stack trace and the reference stack trace. When a predetermined degree of similarity exists between the electronically received stack trace and the reference stack trace, the present invention automatically reports information about the known system error associated with the reference stack to the address from which the electronically received stack trace was sent. Because the degree of similarity exists between the electronically received stack trace and the reference stack trace associated with the known system error, the remedial actions for the known system error also apply to the unknown system error. In so doing, the present invention provides a method and system which quickly and automatically reports the source and possible solution of a program system error, to a user of the program, without requiring extensive customer support intervention.