CenterLine Software cuts the cost, time and pain of fixing software defects in deployed mission-critical applications.CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 1995 To help corporate developers pinpoint the cause of software crashes or malfunctions in deployed applications, CenterLine cen·ter·line n. 1. A line that bisects something into equal parts. 2. A painted line running along the center of a road or highway that divides it into two sections for traffic moving in opposite directions, or, in the case of Software, Inc. today unveiled QC/Recall , a new kind of quality automation tool that significantly reduces the cost, time and pain of finding and fixing software bugs A problem that causes a program to produce invalid output or to crash (lock up). The problem is either insufficient logic or erroneous logic. For example, a program can crash if there are not enough validity checks performed on the input or on the calculations themselves, and the computer in mission-critical production software. By monitoring and capturing information about how a user was interacting with an application when it failed, QC/Recall provides developers and support groups with a comprehensive log file of all user actions, enabling them to isolate bugs up to 10 times faster. Developers can then use CenterLine's QC/Replay a graphical user interface graphical user interface (GUI) Computer display format that allows the user to select commands, call up files, start programs, and do other routine tasks by using a mouse to point to pictorial symbols (icons) or lists of menu choices on the screen as opposed to having to (GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. ) capture/playback tool integrated with QC/Recall to execute the log file to recreate the failure. QC/Recall is the latest in CenterLine's family of new QualityCenter quality automation tools unveiled over recent months that enables companies to implement solutions for delivering high-quality applications on-time. More organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on software applications to run their business. QC/Recall will enable these companies to quickly isolate and repair system defects minimizing costly downtime and increasing the value of strategic business applications, said Hugh Bishop, director of emerging technologies research at Aberdeen Group Aberdeen Group is a provider of business-related research services. It has its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts and belongs to the Harte-Hanks group. Founded in 1988, Aberdeen's research is used by over 2. . QC/Recall builds on CenterLine's QualityCenter family of tools, extending the company's strategy for improving software quality throughout the development lifecycle. Designed specifically for UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). -based, X Window/Motif applications, QC/Recall is distinguished by a non-intrusive design that does not impose performance penalties on the user's application. Instead of using CPU-consuming methods such as video screen shots or complex binary files, QC/Recall logs user behavior, including every keystroke key·stroke n. A stroke of a key, as on a word processor. key  stroke and mouse click, and stores the information in files for easy retrieval by support staff. This non-intrusive design is particularly important for companies running mission-critical applications, such as financial trading organizations, where a reduction in a trader's reaction time can often mean financial loss for a company. Reproducing software defects is often the hardest part of resolving a software crash. The longer a mission-critical application is down, the more the company will pay the price. Developers need tools that will enable them to find the quickest route to identifying the real problem, said Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson (born January 28, 1943 in Lucknow, Ontario, Canada) is a retired Canadian hockey left winger who played 13 , vice president of marketing at CenterLine Software. Using QC/Recall, developers can find software bugs easier than ever before, fix them and quickly get the application back out to the users. The three R's of QC/Recall Using QC/Recall, developers can effectively answer the key question following a software crash or malfunction mal·func·tion v. 1. To fail to function. 2. To function improperly. n. 1. Failure to function. 2. Faulty or abnormal functioning. : What were you doing when it happened? While support staff need to know all the events surrounding a failure, users often unintentionally omit steps they took, give vague information following a crash, or simply were not present when it happened, making it difficult for developers to find the problem. Using the three R's of QC/Recall record, recreate and repeat developers can gather the information they need, and solve and verify the problem faster than with traditional tools and methods. ...Record QC/Recall records how the application was used when the system failed. QC/Recall records valuable information such as which windows are being accessed, which keyboard shortcuts are employed, data the user entered and where most of the user's time is being spent. Developers can retrieve log files from internal or external user sites over LANs, WANs and the Internet and analyze the events leading up to the crash. This information enables developers to pinpoint the problem and apply a solution immediately. ...Recreate To recreate the events that led to a system crash or failure, QC/Recall enables developers to play back log file scripts using QC/Replay. By running the scripts through QC/Replay, developers can reproduce the software bug on their own workstation and receive accurate information about the crash. Armed with this information, developers can use their existing diagnostic and debugging (programming) debugging - The process of attempting to determine the cause of the symptoms of malfunctions in a program or other system. These symptoms may be detected during testing or use by real users. tools to identify and correct the problem. ...Repeat Once a software bug is fixed, developers can add the log file scripts to their standard regression suites and use QC/Replay to repeat their solution. By performing regression tests based on the log files, developers can ensure problems that were corrected do not recur as future enhancements and modifications are incorporated. Availability and pricing QC/Recall will be available from CenterLine and its authorized distributors worldwide on SunOS, Solaris/SPARC and HP UX platforms in December 1995. IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive) IBM's Unix-based operating system which runs on its Intellistation workstations and pSeries, p5, iSeries and i5 server families. , Digital UNIX See Tru64 Unix. , Silicon Graphics and Unixware platforms will be supported in early 1996. QC/Recall is sold on a per-user basis and is available at volume discounts. A 100-user license for example, is priced at U.S. $350 list per user. CenterLine Software, Inc., a privately held corporation Noun 1. privately held corporation - a corporation owned by a few people; shares have no public market close corporation, closed corporation, private corporation headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., is a leading independent provider of quality automation solutions for professional developers. CenterLine offers a complete suite of tightly integrated, open and standards-based solutions including C and C++ programming environments and testing tools, as well as education, development, training and consulting services. The sponsor of CenterStage , the premier independent software vendor partner program, CenterLine joins forces with major tools vendors to deliver value-added integrations spanning the entire software development lifecycle. -0- CenterLine is a registered trademark and QualityCenter, QC/Recall, QC/Replay and CenterStage are trademarks of CenterLine Software, Inc. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. CONTACT: Jill Godett CenterLine Software, Inc. 617-498-3287 godett@centerline.com or Laura Desmarais Beaupre & Co. Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most , Inc. 603-436-6690 desmarai@beaupre.mv.com |
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