StarTrace
From RAD Lab
←Older revision | Newer revision→
- James' thesis on *trace - Image:JamesZhangStarTraceThesis.pdf
Abstract
Modern web applications often experience problems that are extremely difficult to diagnose and pinpoint. Path-based tracing, where traces are causally linked to produce paths, has been demonstrated in the past to be useful in fault isolation and performance debugging of distributed systems. However, path-based tracing is not yet widely deployed in web applications. In this report, we describe the design and implementation of StarTrace, a new framework for performing tracing of modern web applications. StarTrace is designed to provide gray-box, causal path based, always- on tracing that can be easily integrated and used in different web applications. We describe in detail the architecture and implementation of the front-end, where traces are propagated and collected, and of the back-end, where paths are reconstructed and stored. Finally, we discuss various topics related to path-based tracing and present some directions for future research.
