Real Time Analysis of Tracer Summaries to Change Tracer Behavior

Abstract

Real time analysis of tracing data may identify functions for which tracing may be enhanced or reduced. A tracer that generates function-level data may have an aggregator that summarizes the data. Potential changes to tracing configuration may be identified by analyzing the summarized data to determine whether or not each function is being traced at a level commensurate with that function's impact to the summarized data. Those functions with little significant contribution may have their tracing reduced, while those functions with more significant contribution may have their tracing enhanced. The analysis of the summarized data may be performed in real time in some instances, causing a tracer to change the data collected while an application executes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by at least one computer processor, said method comprising:
 receiving tracer data gathered from tracing a first plurality of functions, said first plurality of functions being comprised in an application, said tracer data being gathered during a first time interval;   creating a first statistic representing said tracer data for said first time interval;   identifying a first function within said tracer data, said first function contributing to said first statistic below a first threshold; and   causing said first function to be traced at a reduced level in a subsequent time interval.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving second tracer data gathered from tracing a second plurality of functions, said second plurality of functions being comprised in said application, said second tracer data being gathered during said subsequent time interval, said second plurality of functions comprising said first function; 
 creating a second statistic representing said second tracer data for said subsequent time interval; 
 determining that said first function contributes to said first statistic above said first threshold; and 
 causing said first function to be traced at an enhanced level in a second subsequent time interval. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , said first statistic comprising a counted statistic. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , said first threshold comprising a percentage value contribution to said first statistic. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , said percentage value contribution being less than one of a group of percentages being:
 20%, 10%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.25%, and 0.1%.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , said reduced level comprising a decreased number of parameters collected for said first function. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , said reduced level comprising collecting a first parameter being used to generate said first statistic. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , said enhanced level comprising collecting said first parameter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , said reduced level comprising a decreased sampling rate of parameters collected for said first function. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , said reduced level comprising collecting a first parameter being used to generate said first statistic. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , said first time interval being a predefined time interval. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , said subsequent time interval being an equivalent length of time as said first time interval. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , said first time interval being defined by a first event and a second event. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , said subsequent time interval being a different length of time than said first time interval. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor;   an execution environment operating on said at least one processor, said execution environment executing an application, said application comprising a plurality of functions;   a tracer that:
 gathers tracer data gathered from tracing a first plurality of functions, said first plurality of functions being comprised in said application, said tracer data being gathered during a first time interval; 
 creates a first statistic representing said tracer data for said first time interval; 
 identifies a first function within said tracer data, said first function contributing to said first statistic below a first threshold; and 
 causes said first function to be traced at a reduced level in a subsequent time interval. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , said tracer that further:
 receives second tracer data gathered from tracing a second plurality of functions, said second plurality of functions being comprised in said application, said second tracer data being gathered during said subsequent time interval, said second plurality of functions comprising said first function;   creates a second statistic representing said second tracer data for said subsequent time interval;   determines that said first function contributes to said first statistic above said first threshold; and   causes said first function to be traced at an enhanced level in a second subsequent time interval.