Difference between revisions of "RCUG 1 Introducing RootCause"

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[[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause|Next]] [[RCUG_0_Contents|Previous]] [[RCUG_Index|
 
 
 
Index]] [[RCUG_Top|Top]]
 
  
 
'''RootCause User Guide'''
 
'''RootCause User Guide'''
 
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= Introducing RootCause =
 
= Introducing RootCause =
 
 
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<A HREF=rcc-1.html>[Top]</A>
 
<A HREF=rcc-3.html>[Contents]</A>
 
<A HREF=rcc-14.html>[Index]</A></P>
 
<P>RootCause</P>
 
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== What Is RootCause? ==
 
== What Is RootCause? ==
  
RootCause is a sophisticated tool designed to help software organizations solve a  
+
'''RootCause''' is a sophisticated tool designed to help software organizations solve a problem as quickly as possible, ideally from a single occurrence, while simultaneously reducing support costs. Fundamental to this is a tracing capability. We have designed RootCause to make powerful application tracing and root cause analysis as simple as possible.
 
 
problem as quickly as possible, ideally from a single occurrence, while  
 
 
 
simultaneously reducing support costs. Fundamental to this is a tracing capability.  
 
 
 
  We have designed RootCause to make powerful application tracing and root cause  
 
 
 
analysis as simple as possible.
 
 
 
The fundamental concept is that all of the data needed to debug an application
 
 
 
problem is recorded in its RootCause workspace. The RootCause Console Graphical
 
 
 
User Interface (GUI) allows you to choose the data to be collected and to navigate
 
 
 
the collected data.
 
 
 
When an application problem occurs, the "user" sends the RootCause workspace to the
 
 
 
support organization as the problem report. If the support organization has defined
 
 
 
the trace correctly, this RootCause workspace contains sufficient information to do
 
 
 
the root cause analysis of the problem. There's no need to recreate the problem or
 
 
 
ask the user further questions.
 
 
 
The RootCause Console tools are used in the application development and support
 
 
 
environments to define what to trace and also ultimately to view the trace data.
 
 
 
The application being traced may be run in the development environment as well, of
 
 
 
course; or it may be run remotely, on a separate test platform or on a customer's
 
 
 
computer, without access to the development environment.
 
 
 
You can choose to
 
<!-- <A NAME=MARKER-2-154></A>  -->
 
deploy the RootCause trace to the application environment after a problem occurs,
 
 
 
or you can include RootCause as part of your shipped application so that any time a
 
 
 
problem occurs you can immediately examine the data collected by RootCause to
 
 
 
perform a root cause analysis of the problem.
 
  
Note that RootCause is designed to work on shipped applications. No change is
+
The fundamental concept is that all of the data needed to debug an application problem is recorded in its RootCause workspace. The RootCause Console Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows you to choose the data to be collected and to navigate the collected data.
  
needed to your application or your build processes!  The traces will be
+
When an application problem occurs, the "user" sends the RootCause workspace to the support organization as the problem report. If the support organization has defined the trace correctly, this RootCause workspace contains sufficient information to do the root cause analysis of the problem. There's no need to recreate the problem or ask the user further questions.
  
automatically inserted into your application when a copy of it is loaded into
+
The RootCause Console tools are used in the application development and support environments to define what to trace and also ultimately to view the trace data. The application being traced may be run in the development environment as well, of course; or it may be run remotely, on a separate test platform or on a customer's computer, without access to the development environment.
  
memory; the traces remain only while your application is running, and they vanish
+
<div id=MARKER-2-154></div>
 +
You can choose to deploy the RootCause trace to the application environment after a problem occurs, or you can include RootCause as part of your shipped application so that any time a problem occurs you can immediately examine the data collected by RootCause to perform a root cause analysis of the problem.
  
afterwards.
+
Note that RootCause is designed to work on shipped applications. No change is needed to your application or your build processes!  The traces will be automatically inserted into your application when a copy of it is loaded into memory; the traces remain only while your application is running, and they vanish afterwards.
  
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== Java, C++, or Both? ==
 
== Java, C++, or Both? ==
  
RootCause is packaged as '''RootCause for Java''' and '''RootCause for C++'''. This  
+
<div id=MARKER-10-155></div>
is the user's guide for the  
+
RootCause is packaged as '''RootCause for Java''' and '''RootCause for C++'''. This is the user's guide for the '''C++ version''' only. You should read the documentation and do the demos that correspond to the version of RootCause you're interested in.
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-155></A>  -->
 
'''C++''' version only. You should read the documentation and do the demos that  
 
 
 
correspond to the version of RootCause you're interested in.
 
 
 
The differences in features between '''RootCause for Java''' and '''RootCause for
 
 
 
C++''' are determined solely by the license key(s) you are issued by OC Systems. If
 
 
 
this isn't the version you want, or you want to use RootCause on native code
 
 
 
libraries loaded by Java, or Java run as applets or beans from a compiled
 
 
 
application, you will need licenses to enable both the Java and C++ features. For
 
 
 
more information see
 
[[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause#Licensing|&quot;Licensing&quot;]]
 
[]<A HREF="rcc-5.html#MARKER-9-259">&quot;Licensing&quot;</A>, and
 
[[RCUG_7_Selected_Topics#Tracing_Java_and_C++_In_One_Program|&quot;Tracing Java and
 
 
 
C++ In One Program&quot;]]
 
[]<A HREF="rcc-13.html#MARKER-9-2192">&quot;Tracing Java and C++ In One
 
  
Program&quot;</A>.
+
The differences in features between '''RootCause for Java''' and '''RootCause for C++''' are determined solely by the license key(s) you are issued by OC Systems. If this isn't the version you want, or you want to use RootCause on native code libraries loaded by Java, or Java run as applets or beans from a compiled application, you will need licenses to enable both the Java and C++ features. For more information see [[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause#Licensing|&quot;Licensing&quot;]], and [[RCUG_7_Selected_Topics#Tracing_Java_and_C++_In_One_Program|&quot;Tracing Java and C++ In One Program&quot;]].  
  
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== About This Guide ==
 
== About This Guide ==
  
This User's Guide describes version 2 of the RootCause product for
+
<div id=MARKER-10-156><div id=MARKER-10-157></div><div id=MARKER-10-158></div>
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-156></A>  -->
+
This User's Guide describes version 2 of the RootCause product for C/C++ on the Unix platform.  Your feedback is desired, both on problems that you encounter and on suggestions of how the product could better accomplish its goals of solving problems from a single occurrence and of reducing support costs.
C/C++
 
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-157></A>  -->
 
on the Unix
 
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-158></A>  -->
 
platform.  Your feedback is desired, both on problems that you encounter and on  
 
 
 
suggestions of how the product could better accomplish its goals of solving  
 
 
 
problems from a single occurrence and of reducing support costs.
 
 
 
Please e-mail feedback to [mailto:support@ocsystems.com support@ocsystems.com]
 
<!--  <A HREF="mailto:support@ocsystems.com">support@ocsystems.com</A>  -->
 
and indicate what version of RootCause you are using. The version number can be
 
 
 
obtained
 
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-161></A>  -->
 
with the command <CODE>rootcause help</CODE>.
 
 
 
If you are evaluating RootCause, or you are a first time user, we suggest that you
 
 
 
install RootCause in a local directory (no special system administrator privileges
 
 
 
are needed) and do the demonstrations outlined in
 
[[RCUG_5_RootCause_Demo|CHAPTER 5 - &quot;RootCause Demo&quot;]].
 
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-8.html#MARKER-9-707">Chapter 5, &quot;RootCause
 
 
 
Demo&quot;</A>.  -->
 
Then return to this manual to get specific questions answered. If the information
 
 
 
is not clear, let us know.
 
 
 
[[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause|CHAPTER 2 - &quot;Installing RootCause&quot;]]
 
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-5.html#MARKER-9-205">Chapter 2, &quot;Installing
 
 
 
RootCause&quot;</A>  -->
 
discusses the installation of RootCause.
 
 
 
[[RCUG_3_Terminology_and_Concepts|CHAPTER 3 - &quot;Terminology and
 
 
 
Concepts&quot;]]
 
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-6.html#MARKER-9-335">Chapter 3, &quot;Terminology and
 
 
 
Concepts&quot;</A>  -->
 
introduces some terminology and concepts that RootCause users should know to make
 
 
 
best use of the product.  This chapter also contains a
 
[[RCUG_3_Terminology_and_Concepts#Glossary|Glossary]]
 
[]<A HREF="rcc-6.html#MARKER-9-386">Glossary</A>.
 
 
 
[[RCUG_4_Getting_Started|CHAPTER 4 - &quot;Getting Started&quot;]]
 
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-7.html#MARKER-9-508">Chapter 4, &quot;Getting
 
 
 
Started&quot;</A>  -->
 
discusses how an individual user would set up to use RootCause after it is
 
 
 
installed and gives a quick description of getting started with RootCause.
 
 
 
[[RCUG_5_RootCause_Demo|CHAPTER 5 - &quot;RootCause Demo&quot;]]
 
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-8.html#MARKER-9-707">Chapter 5, &quot;RootCause Demo&quot;</A>
 
 
 
-->
 
demonstrates how to apply RootCause to a simple program.
 
 
 
[[RCUG_6_Deploying_The_RootCause_Workspace|CHAPTER 6 - &quot;Deploying the
 
 
 
RootCause Workspace&quot;]]
 
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-9.html#MARKER-9-873">Chapter 6, &quot;Deploying the RootCause
 
 
 
Workspace&quot;</A>  -->
 
explains how to define a RootCause trace session at your local site and then send
 
 
 
it to a remote site to do remote debugging.
 
  
[[RCUG_RootCause_Files_and_Environment_Variables|CHAPTER 7 - &quot;RootCause Files
+
<div id=MARKER-10-161></div>
 +
Please e-mail feedback to [mailto:support@ocsystems.com support@ocsystems.com] and indicate what version of RootCause you are using. The version number can be obtained with the command <CODE>rootcause help</CODE>.
  
and Environment Variables&quot;]]
+
If you are evaluating RootCause, or you are a first time user, we suggest that you install RootCause in a local directory (no special system administrator privileges are needed) and do the demonstrations outlined in [[RCUG_5_RootCause_Demo|CHAPTER 5 - &quot;RootCause Demo&quot;]].
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-10.html#MARKER-9-946">Chapter 7, &quot;RootCause Files and
 
  
Environment Variables&quot;</A>  -->
+
Then return to this manual to get specific questions answered. If the information is not clear, let us know.
discusses the environment variables
 
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-162></A>  -->
 
and files that affect RootCause.
 
  
[[RCUG_RootCause_GUI_Reference|CHAPTER 8 - &quot;RootCause GUI Reference&quot;]]
+
[[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause|CHAPTER 2 - &quot;Installing RootCause&quot;]] discusses the installation of RootCause.
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-11.html#MARKER-9-1320">Chapter 8, &quot;RootCause GUI
 
  
Reference&quot;</A>  -->
+
[[RCUG_3_Terminology_and_Concepts|CHAPTER 3 - &quot;Terminology and Concepts&quot;]] introduces some terminology and concepts that RootCause users should know to make best use of the product.  This chapter also contains a [[RCUG_3_Terminology_and_Concepts#Glossary|Glossary]].
describes the RootCause Graphical User Interface in detail, briefly describing each
 
  
dialog, menu item, and button.
+
[[RCUG_4_Getting_Started|CHAPTER 4 - &quot;Getting Started&quot;]] discusses how an individual user would set up to use RootCause after it is installed and gives a quick description of getting started with RootCause.
  
[[RCUG_RootCause_Command_Reference|CHAPTER 9 - &quot;RootCause Command
+
[[RCUG_5_RootCause_Demo|CHAPTER 5 - &quot;RootCause Demo&quot;]] demonstrates how to apply RootCause to a simple program.
  
Reference&quot;]]
+
[[RCUG_6_Deploying_The_RootCause_Workspace|CHAPTER 6 - &quot;Deploying the RootCause Workspace&quot;]] explains how to define a RootCause trace session at your local site and then send it to a remote site to do remote debugging.
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-12.html#MARKER-9-2008">Chapter 9, &quot;RootCause Command
 
  
Reference&quot;</A>  -->
+
<div id=MARKER-10-162></div>
describes the <CODE>rootcause</CODE> command line.
+
[[RCUG_RootCause_Files_and_Environment_Variables|CHAPTER 7 - &quot;RootCause Files and Environment Variables&quot;]] discusses the environment variables and files that affect RootCause.  
  
[[RCUG_7_Selected_Topics|CHAPTER 10 - &quot;Selected Topics&quot;]]
+
[[RCUG_RootCause_GUI_Reference|CHAPTER 8 - &quot;RootCause GUI Reference&quot;]] describes the RootCause Graphical User Interface in detail, briefly describing each dialog, menu item, and button.
<!--  []<A HREF="rcc-13.html#MARKER-9-2163">Chapter 10, &quot;Selected
 
  
Topics&quot;</A> -->
+
[[RCUG_RootCause_Command_Reference|CHAPTER 9 - &quot;RootCause Command Reference&quot;]] describes the <CODE>rootcause</CODE> command line.
contains technical discussions for issues of interest to RootCause users.
 
  
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-10-163></A>  -->
+
[[RCUG_7_Selected_Topics|CHAPTER 10 - &quot;Selected Topics&quot;]] contains technical discussions for issues of interest to RootCause users.
Problems and platform-specific issues are discussed in the
 
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-2-164></A>  -->
 
Release Notes for the current release of the product.
 
  
Check our web site at [http://www.ocsystems.com/ www.ocsystems.com]
+
<div id=MARKER-10-163></div><div id=MARKER-2-164></div>
<!-- <A HREF="http://www.ocsystems.com/">www.ocsystems.com</A>  -->  
+
Problems and platform-specific issues are discussed in the Release Notes for the current release of the product.
for
 
<!--  <A NAME=MARKER-2-167></A>  -->
 
white papers and the newest version of the product.
 
  
<!-- 
+
<div id=MARKER-2-167></div>
<A NAME="LINK-01intro_rc.fm-lastpage"></A>
+
Check our web site at [http://www.ocsystems.com/ www.ocsystems.com] for white papers and the newest version of the product.
</DIV>
 
<DIV> 
 
----  <!--  <HR>  -->
 
<!-- 
 
<P><A HREF=rcc-5.html>[Next]</A>
 
<A HREF=rcc-3.html>[Previous]</A>
 
<A HREF=rcc-1.html>[Top]</A>
 
<A HREF=rcc-3.html>[Contents]</A>
 
<A HREF=rcc-14.html>[Index]</A></P>
 
<P></P>
 
<ADDRESS>Copyright 2006  OC Systems, Inc.</ADDRESS>
 
<P></P>
 
</DIV>  -->
 
  
<!-- footer -->
+
<div id="LINK-01intro_rc.fm-lastpage"></div>
<!--  </div>  -->
 
 
----
 
----
  
Copyright 2006-2017 OC Systems, Inc.
+
Copyright 2006-2018 OC Systems, Inc.
 
 
<!--  </div>  -->
 
 
 
[[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause|Next]] [[RCUG_0_Contents|Previous]] [[RCUG_Index|
 
  
Index]] [[RCUG_Top|Top]]
+
[[RCUG_2_Installing_RootCause|Next]] [[RCUG_0_Contents|Previous]] [[RCUG_Index|Index]] [[RCUG_Top|Top]]
  
 
[[Category:RCUG]]
 
[[Category:RCUG]]

Latest revision as of 23:00, 4 March 2018

Next Previous Index Top

RootCause User Guide

Introducing RootCause


What Is RootCause?

RootCause is a sophisticated tool designed to help software organizations solve a problem as quickly as possible, ideally from a single occurrence, while simultaneously reducing support costs. Fundamental to this is a tracing capability. We have designed RootCause to make powerful application tracing and root cause analysis as simple as possible.

The fundamental concept is that all of the data needed to debug an application problem is recorded in its RootCause workspace. The RootCause Console Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows you to choose the data to be collected and to navigate the collected data.

When an application problem occurs, the "user" sends the RootCause workspace to the support organization as the problem report. If the support organization has defined the trace correctly, this RootCause workspace contains sufficient information to do the root cause analysis of the problem. There's no need to recreate the problem or ask the user further questions.

The RootCause Console tools are used in the application development and support environments to define what to trace and also ultimately to view the trace data. The application being traced may be run in the development environment as well, of course; or it may be run remotely, on a separate test platform or on a customer's computer, without access to the development environment.

You can choose to deploy the RootCause trace to the application environment after a problem occurs, or you can include RootCause as part of your shipped application so that any time a problem occurs you can immediately examine the data collected by RootCause to perform a root cause analysis of the problem.

Note that RootCause is designed to work on shipped applications. No change is needed to your application or your build processes! The traces will be automatically inserted into your application when a copy of it is loaded into memory; the traces remain only while your application is running, and they vanish afterwards.

Java, C++, or Both?

RootCause is packaged as RootCause for Java and RootCause for C++. This is the user's guide for the C++ version only. You should read the documentation and do the demos that correspond to the version of RootCause you're interested in.

The differences in features between RootCause for Java and RootCause for C++ are determined solely by the license key(s) you are issued by OC Systems. If this isn't the version you want, or you want to use RootCause on native code libraries loaded by Java, or Java run as applets or beans from a compiled application, you will need licenses to enable both the Java and C++ features. For more information see "Licensing", and "Tracing Java and C++ In One Program".

About This Guide

This User's Guide describes version 2 of the RootCause product for C/C++ on the Unix platform. Your feedback is desired, both on problems that you encounter and on suggestions of how the product could better accomplish its goals of solving problems from a single occurrence and of reducing support costs.

Please e-mail feedback to support@ocsystems.com and indicate what version of RootCause you are using. The version number can be obtained with the command rootcause help.

If you are evaluating RootCause, or you are a first time user, we suggest that you install RootCause in a local directory (no special system administrator privileges are needed) and do the demonstrations outlined in CHAPTER 5 - "RootCause Demo".

Then return to this manual to get specific questions answered. If the information is not clear, let us know.

CHAPTER 2 - "Installing RootCause" discusses the installation of RootCause.

CHAPTER 3 - "Terminology and Concepts" introduces some terminology and concepts that RootCause users should know to make best use of the product. This chapter also contains a Glossary.

CHAPTER 4 - "Getting Started" discusses how an individual user would set up to use RootCause after it is installed and gives a quick description of getting started with RootCause.

CHAPTER 5 - "RootCause Demo" demonstrates how to apply RootCause to a simple program.

CHAPTER 6 - "Deploying the RootCause Workspace" explains how to define a RootCause trace session at your local site and then send it to a remote site to do remote debugging.

CHAPTER 7 - "RootCause Files and Environment Variables" discusses the environment variables and files that affect RootCause.

CHAPTER 8 - "RootCause GUI Reference" describes the RootCause Graphical User Interface in detail, briefly describing each dialog, menu item, and button.

CHAPTER 9 - "RootCause Command Reference" describes the rootcause command line.

CHAPTER 10 - "Selected Topics" contains technical discussions for issues of interest to RootCause users.

Problems and platform-specific issues are discussed in the Release Notes for the current release of the product.

Check our web site at www.ocsystems.com for white papers and the newest version of the product.


Copyright 2006-2018 OC Systems, Inc.

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