Assessing computer programs using stack frame signatures

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

locating, by a processor, a stack pointer indicating a top of a call stack for an executed program;

locating a first base pointer of a current frame;

using the location of the stack pointer and the base pointer to determine a size of the current frame;

encoding the size into a corresponding symbol; and

adding the encoded symbol into an ordered list to form a stack frame signature with a historical execution path of the executed program.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

locating a next base pointer for a second frame in the call stack;

determining whether the next base pointer is valid;

determining the size of the second frame from the first and next base pointers, when the next base pointer is valid;

encoding the size of the second frame into a second corresponding symbol; and

adding the second encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, when the next base pointer is not valid:

single-stepping through each subsequent stack location until a valid base pointer is found;

determining the size of the second frame from the size of the first base pointer and the valid base pointer;

encoding the size of the second frame into a second corresponding symbol; and

adding the second encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining one or more metrics about the current frame;

encoding each of the one or more metrics of the current frame into a corresponding symbol; and

adding the corresponding encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a size for each stack frame in the call stack;

encoding each size for each stack frame into a corresponding symbol; and

adding the encoded corresponding symbols to the stack frame signature.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

truncating the stack frame signature to remove encoded symbols corresponding to older frames.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

retaining a fixed-length portion of the starting portion of the stack frame signature and a second fixed-length portion of the ending portion of the stack frame signature reference during the truncating.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium on which is stored a stack signature program for capturing and describing the state of an application program under actual working conditions, the stack signature program being registered with a target operating system that launches the stack signature program responsive to abnormal termination of the application program, the stack signature program comprising instructions that when executed cause a computing system to:

locate a stack pointer indicating a top of a call stack for an executed program;

locate a first base pointer of a current frame;

use the location of the stack pointer and of the base pointer to determine a size of the current frame;

encode the size into a corresponding symbol; and

add the encoded symbol into an ordered list to form a stack frame signature with a historical execution path of the executed program.

9. The storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the computing system to:

locate a next base pointer for a second frame in the call stack;

determine whether the next base pointer is valid;

determine the size of the second frame from the first and next base pointers, when the next base pointer is valid;

encode the size of the second frame into a second corresponding symbol; and

add the second encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

10. The storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the computing system to, when the next base pointer is not valid:

single-step through each subsequent stack location until a valid base pointer is found;

determine the size of the second frame from the size of the first base pointer and the valid base pointer;

encode the size of the second frame into a second corresponding symbol; and

add the second encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

11. The storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the computing system to:

determine one or more metrics about the current frame;

encode each of the one or more metrics of the current frame into a corresponding symbol; and

add the corresponding encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

12. The storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the computing system to:

determine a size for each stack frame in the call stack;

encode each size for each stack frame into a corresponding symbol; and

add the encoded corresponding symbols to the stack frame signature.

13. The storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the computing system to:

truncate the stack frame signature to remove encoded symbols corresponding to older frames; and

retain a fixed-length portion of the starting portion of the stack frame signature and a second fixed-length portion of the ending portion of the stack frame signature reference during the truncating.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory to store a computer program to generate stack signatures that when executed by the processor is operative to locate a stack pointer indicating a top of a call stack for an executed program; locate a first base pointer of a current frame; use the location of the stack pointer and of the base pointer to determine a size of the current frame; encode the size into a corresponding symbol; and add the encoded symbol into an ordered list to form a stack frame signature with a historical execution path of the executed program.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , the computer program operative to:

locate a next base pointer for a second frame in the call stack;

determine whether the next base pointer is valid;

determine the size of the second frame from the first and next base pointers, when the next base pointer is valid;

encode the size of the second frame into a second corresponding symbol; and add the second encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , the computer program operative to, when the next base pointer is not valid:

single-step through each subsequent stack location until a valid base pointer is found;

determine the size of the second frame from the size of the first base pointer and the valid base pointer;

encode the size of the second frame into a second corresponding symbol; and add the second encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , the computer program operative to:

determine one or more metrics about the current frame;

encode each of the one or more metrics of the current frame into a corresponding symbol; and

add the corresponding encoded symbol to the stack frame signature.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , the computer program operative to:

determine a size for each stack frame in the call stack;

encode each size for each stack frame into a corresponding symbol; and add the encoded corresponding symbols to the stack frame signature.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , the computer program operative to:

truncate the stack frame signature to remove encoded symbols corresponding to older frames.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , the computer program operative to:

retain a fixed-length portion of the starting portion of the stack frame signature and a second fixed-length portion of the ending portion of the stack frame signature reference during the truncating.