Debugger

VulCon Debugger

Starting from GreenVulcano^® ESB v3.3, VulCon Eclipse plugin has been enhanced with a new feature: the graphical debugger. Now it’s possible to deploy and follow running flows in a GreenVulcano^® ESB server, having control about stepping, execution and environment (variables). VulCon Debugger allows the user to view and modify variables currently existing in a well determined execution point of the running service. Using the debugger, the developer is able to augment its productivity, diagnose anomalies and bugs, finally increase the troubleshooting.

Starting the debugger

Using the VulCon "Core" view, it’s possible to retrieve, deploy and start the VulCondebug feature. Firstly you should choose the service’s operation to debug:

GVServices -->  Services ---> Service (Name).

Right-clicking the Operation to debug, the contextual menu is opened and you can choose "Deploy & Debug". When "Deploy & Debug" menu voice is selected, a new Debug launch configuration for the selected Operation is created and the GreenVulcano^® ESB server is contacted and made ready for service debugging. Afterward, within a minute, the user must start the service in the ESB.

VulCon Debug Perspective

File:VulConDebugProspective.jpg

VulCon Debug

After the service to debug has been started, the GreenVulcano^® ESB server stops service execution on the first node of the flow, following the "Start" node. If not, a graphical view of the operation is opened, and the node, where the execution is currently hold, is sharpened with a green pattern. Following is a list of possible node’s color patterns:

• Full green: used to signal the node where the execution is currently hold.
• Full red: used to signal a node where a breakpoint is set.
• Half red, half green: used to signal the node where the execution is currently hold as well a breakpoint is set.

Debug View

The Debug view, normally placed on the top left side of the perspective, shows the parts of the GreenVulcano^® ESB operation flow call stack which are currently executed and how they relate to each other. Following is the VulCon Debugger call stack structure:

- <Launch Configuration Name> [VulCon Debugger] 
  - <Service Name>
    - <Thread Name>
      - <Service Name> / <Operation Name> / <Sub Flow Name>

Variables View

Variables View displays fields and local variables from the environment of the current execution stack. Variables View in VulCon debugger has following structure:

- <environment id>: when GVBuffer composed by following fields.
    * OBJECT: object field on GVBuffer.
    * ID: id field on GVBuffer.
    * SYSTEM: system field on GVBuffer.
    * SERVICE: service field on GVBuffer.
    * RETCODE: retcode field on GVBuffer.
    * PROPERTIES: list of properties on GVBuffer.