philosophy of software diagnostics, part 1

Philosophy of Software Diagnostics

Dmitry Vostokov Software Diagnostics Services

Version 1.0

If want to be the best software diagnostician you need to be a philosopher.

After Galen’s thoughts on medicine

© 2013 Software Diagnostics Services

Prerequisites Interest in software diagnostics, troubleshooting and debugging Philosophical attitude and interest in meta-questions


Goal

Synthesize philosophy of software diagnostics from its best practices


Software Diagnostics

A discipline studying abnormal software structure and behavior in software execution artifacts (such as memory dumps, software and network traces and logs) using pattern-oriented analysis methodologies.


Diagnostics Pattern

A common recurrent identifiable problem together with a set of recommendations and possible solutions to apply in a specific context.


The First Question

What is a Problem?


Problem Difficulty – problem 1641 business 1843 (colloq.)

core c1460-1652 prob 1934 (colloq.) hang-up 1959 (slang) problem 1874 sub-problem 1907 pseudo-problem 1911

Mathematics – prob 1864 Materials of topic of debate / discussion –

problem 1529 – 1646 (question, thesis, argument, issue, consultation, debating point)

Enquiry, questioning – problem 1594 good question 1918


Prob-lem(ma) A prob-lemma is a pair: An issue ~Understanding of an issue

Проблема (Problema, in Russian)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemma_(mathematics

~Understanding How do we understand a problem?


Projection Understanding – projection to patterns


Patterns

Pattern-in-artefact


Da-sign

A pattern in the artefact for an issue that has a concern for us

Understanding of an issue and a pattern


CARE Da-sign as a meaning-pattern

Underlying meaning-structure for da-

signs


Hermeneutics


Software User Interaction

Software Artefacts

Software Diagnostician

Understanding

Understanding

Remote Interaction


Software User


Support Support


Understanding


Software User

Software

Diagnostician

HSI

Understanding Patterns


Existing patterns

Excavating new patterns

Better understanding of software

Sources of Interpretation


Problem descriptions

Human-software interaction Interaction itself

Artefacts

Phenomenology


Various phenomena (patterns) in: HCI Life-world Computer-world Artefacts

Why Phenomenology?


Involves human side About meaning and understanding Includes feeling and mood The best of Husserl and Heidegger

Patterns as Phenomena


Meaning-structures in meaningful world of experience

Common meaning-structure

Leaving Human-Software dichotomy outside: patterns of phenomena

Software Phenomenology


Only experience Bracketing implementation [code] “Free fantasy variation” (Husserl) Free fantasy investigation (software narratology) Pattern discourse Common meaning-structure in

Computer-world

Hermeneutics Meeting and dialog narratives

Software problem narratives

Software execution narratives

Software trace and log patterns


Phenomenological Hermeneutics

Meaning-structure-patterns Software problem narratives

Software problem description patterns


Explanation


Recommendations

Possible solutions

Problem Prob-lemmas Da-signs

Human-Assisted Software Diagnostics


Computer Assistance (Logic, Language, Software) Medicine (Logic, Language, Software) Software


Analytical Philosophy

Software as a Logico-Linguistic Machine


Abductive Diagnostics 1. Fact: B 2. “If A then B” explains B 3. Root cause A is probable


Further Reading Philosophy

“Martin Heidegger: The Possibility of A Russian Philosophy” by A. Dugin (in Russian language) “Introduction to Metaphysics” by Martin Heidegger “Being and Time” by Martin Heidegger (blue book) “Heidegger: A Guide for the Perplexed” by David Cerbone “The Hermeneutics of Medicine and the Phenomenology of Health: Steps Towards

a Philosophy of Medical Practice” by Fredrik Svenaeus

Pattern-Oriented Software Diagnostics

Software Diagnostics Institute Memory Dump Analysis Anthology: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, … Volume 7 is in preparation (May-June, 2013) Introduction to Pattern-Driven Software Diagnostics Introduction to Systemic Software Diagnostics Introduction to Pattern-Based Software Diagnostics Introduction to Software Narratology


http://www.dumpanalysis.org

http://www.SoftwareNarratology.com

http://www.dumpanalysis.com/index.php?q=ultimate-memory-analysis-reference

http://www.dumpanalysis.com/Introduction-Software-Diagnostics-materials




http://www.dumpanalysis.com/systemic-diagnostics-materials

http://www.dumpanalysis.com/pattern-based-diagnostics-materials



http://www.dumpanalysis.com/Introduction-Software-Narratology-materials

Software and Time


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0631197702/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0631197702&linkCode=as2&tag=crasdumpanala-20

Q&A

Please send your feedback using the contact form on DumpAnalysis.com


Thank you for attendance!


philosophy of software diagnostics, part 1

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