Patent ID: 8418149
Filing Date: 2013-04-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A differential comparison method comprising: monitoring, via a computing device, a chronological order in which stack frame pointers are added to a stack frame as one or more portions of a first instance of a computer program are executed, thus generating a first data file; monitoring, via the computing device, the chronological order in which stack frame pointers are added to the stack frame as one or more portions of a second instance of the computer program are executed, thus generating a second data file; detecting invocation of a function associated with the first instance and second instance; determining whether a matching stack flame structure exists for the function; if the matching stack frame structure does not exist, generating a stack frame structure for the function and adding the stack frame structure to the stack frame, wherein the stack frame structure includes a descendant pointer and a sibling pointer; comparing, via the computing device, the chronological order in which stack frame pointers were added to the stack frame according to the first and second data files; and in response to the data file comparison, identifying, via the computing device, one or more differences between the chronological order in which stack frame pointers were added to the stack frame as the one or more portions of the first instance of the computer program were executed and the chronological order in which stack frame pointers were added to the stack frame as the one or more portions of the second instance of the computer program were executed.