Thomas J George

US Patent:

6584491, Jun 24, 2003

Filed:

Jun 25, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/339825

Inventors:

Frederick E. Niemi - Cary NC
Kenneth W. Chambers - Raleigh NC
Thomas B. George - Morrisville NC

Assignee:

Cisco Technology, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G06F 1516

US Classification:

709202, 709224, 709318, 714 39, 714 45, 717128

Abstract:

An arrangement in a distributed multi-process system enables centralized monitoring of selected messages that pass through the distributed multi-process system, regardless of the message path or the results of the operations performed on the message by any of the associated processes. An event source process, configured for generating a message corresponding to an occurrence of an event, selectively sets a tracing bit in the message and outputs the message for reception by a destination consumer process. The source process also outputs a first trace message specifying that the source process has output the message. The system also includes an event distribution system having a plurality of distributed filter processes, each configured for selectively passing the message based on a corresponding filter condition. Each filter process also generates a corresponding tracing message indicating the operation performed on the message, in response detecting that the tracing bit is set. The tracing messages are sent to a centralized logging process, configured for collecting the trace messages for monitoring of the progress of the message.