Microsoft Corporation
Identifying data inconsistencies and data contention based on historic debugging traces

Abstract:

Identifying and reporting potential data inconsistencies and/or potential data contentions based on historic debugging traces. Based on replay of a thread, some implementations observe an influx of a value to a memory cell, and determine whether the value of the memory cell observed from the influx is inconsistent with a prior value of the memory cell as known by the thread. If so, these implementations can initiate an indication of a data inconsistency. Based on replay of a plurality of threads, other implementations identify a memory cell that was accessed by a first thread while a thread synchronization mechanism was active on the first thread. Then, if there was another access to the memory cell by a second thread without use of the thread synchronization mechanism, these implementations might initiate an indication of a potential data contention.