Patent ID: 7389444

Claim:
A method in a computer system for identifying a state information that may be causing a component to exhibit a certain behavior, the method comprising: identifying difference configuration parameters based on differences between configuration parameters before the certain behavior was and was not exhibited by the component; collecting trace configuration parameters during execution of the component in which the certain behavior was exhibited; providing candidate state information that may be causing the component to exhibit the certain behavior, wherein the state information is a configuration parameter and the candidate configuration parameters is identified based on an intersection of difference configuration parameters identified based on differences between configuration parameters when the certain behavior was and was not exhibited and trace configuration parameters identified during execution of the component in which the certain behavior was exhibited; providing support information relating to problems resulting from problem state information, the support information being collected from problem reports generated by product support personnel when troubleshooting problems that users encounter with the component; and ranking the candidate state information as likely causing the component to exhibit the certain behavior based on analysis of the support information.