Method and framework for tracking/logging completion of requests in a computer system
A framework and method are disclosed for carrying out request completion tracing across request identification boundaries. When a request traverses an identification boundary, an event identifies the old and new request identifications and stores this linking information in a trace event record. Thereafter, a consumer of records maintains track of request completion by incorporating the linking information to switch identifications used to track completion of the request across request identification boundaries encountered by the system while responding to the received request. A request trace event record consumer architecture with enhanced tracking capabilities based upon a specified state machine provides greater power when interpreting the trace records associated with completion of requests by a server system.
1. A method for tracking an execution of a single request across a request identification boundary in a computer system the method comprising:
providing a trace log for recording one or more events that occur during the execution of the single request across the request identification boundary, the request identification boundary comprising a change to an identification of the single request during the occurrence of the one or more events, the request identification boundary selected from a group of request identification boundaries including processing the single request by a first and a second server component;
first recording, within the trace log, a first event including a first request identification;
second recording, within the trace log, a second event including a second request identification;
storing linking information, within the trace log comprising marking, within the trace log, the change to the identification of the single request from the first request identification to the second request identification, and
wherein the linking information comprises a request identification transition event record, and wherein the request identification transition event record includes:
a transition event identifier,
the first request identification, and
the second request identification.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes processing the single request by a first and a second thread.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes changing the identification of the single request while completing a same transaction arising from the single request.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes transferring the single request from a first machine to a second machine.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of correlating, by a consumer utility, the first and second events to the single request using the linking information.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising applying by the consumer utility, a set of trace records for the single request, including event records for the first and second events, to a state machine.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the state machine models a sequence of events corresponding to a composite request.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein an event type value is stored for each recorded event and wherein the event type value directs progression of the state machine.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing linking information step is performed after the first recording step and before the second recording step.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first recording step and second recording step each comprises storing a timestamp corresponding to the first and second events, respectively.
11. A computer-readable storage medium embodying a program of computer-executable instructions for enabling a computer to perform the steps for tracking an execution of a single request across a request identification boundary in a system, the steps comprising:
providing a trace log for recording one or more events that occur during the execution of the single request across the request identification boundary, the request identification boundary comprising a change to an identification of the single request during the occurrence of the one or more events, the request identification boundary selected from a group of request identification boundaries including processing the single request by a first and a second server component;
first recording, within the trace log, a first event including a first request identification;
second recording, within the trace log, a second event including a second request identification;
storing linking information within the trace log comprising marking, within the trace log, the change to the identification of the single request from the first request identification to the second request identification within the trace log; and
wherein the linking information comprises a request identification transition event record, and wherein the request identification transition event record includes:
a transition event identifier,
the first request identification, and
the second request identification.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes processing the single request by a first and a second thread.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes changing the identification of the single request while completing a same transaction arising from the single request.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes transferring the single request from a first machine to a second machine.
15. The event tracing framework computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the steps further comprise comprising a consumer utility including computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the step of providing a consumer utility for correlating the first and second events to the single request using the linking information.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the steps further comprise facilitating applying a set of trace records for the single request, including event records for the first and second events, to a state machine.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the state machine models a sequence of events corresponding to a composite request.
18. The-computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein an event type value is stored for each recorded event and wherein the event type value directs progression of the state machine.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the storing linking information step is performed after the first recording step and before the second recording step.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the first recording step and second recording step each includes storing a timestamp corresponding to the first and second events, respectively.
21. A computer-readable storage medium-embodying a program of computer-executable instructions for enabling a computer to perform the steps for generating performance reports relating to tracking an execution of a single request across a request identification boundary in a system the steps comprising:
providing a trace log for recording one or more events that occur during the execution of the single request across the request identification boundary, the request identification boundary comprising a change to an identification of the single request during the occurrence of the one or more events, the request identification boundary selected from a group of request identification boundaries including a change of components processing the single request, and
providing an event log consumer utility for generating performance data associated with the single request, comprising:
first locating, within the trace log, a first event including a first request identification;
second locating, within the trace log, a second event including a second request identification;
reading linking information, within the trace log, the linking information comprising a record of the change to the identification of the from the first request identification to the second request identification;
correlating the first event and second event with the single request; and
wherein the linking information comprises a request identification transition event record, and wherein the request identification transition event record includes:
a transition event identifier,
the first request identification, and
the second request identification.
22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the linking information is provided by an event trace record, the event trace record including a transfer event type, a source request identification and a destination request identification.
23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the group of request identification boundaries includes a change of machines processing the single request.