Patent ID: 7996686

Claim:
A method for performing a branch trace operation on a computer system of an end user by a processor device, comprising: providing an encrypted mapping macro to the end user to be made operational on the computer system; and providing a trace program to the end user, the end user executing the trace program on the computer system as a diagnostic tool, wherein the trace program is adapted for: decrypting the encrypted mapping macro to generate a decrypted mapping macro, wherein the decrypted mapping macro is only usable on the computer system by the trace program, determining a storage offset location of a branch instruction, checking the storage offset location for an identifying constant, cross referencing the identifying constant with an entry in the decrypted mapping macro to identify a branch triggering bit and diagnostic information associated with the branch instruction, and returning the branch triggering bit and diagnostic information, the branch triggering bit and diagnostic information provided to a coder.