Software Tool Jolt Against Faulty Infinite Loops
It is usually a frustrating experience when you are about to finish an extremely important task on your computer and your computer hangs, stalls, stops working whatever! Everything happens at the precise moment just before you are about to hit CTRL+S key combination which usually ends up you losing all your data since the time you last saved it. A thorough knowledge of computers will tell you that computer hang-ups are normally a product of your computer getting stuck in an infinite loop. Although, this is not always the case but infinite loops are the sole culprits of you being unable to control your PC.
#-Link-Snipped-#
Graphic: Christine Daniloff
Researchers from MIT Prof. Martin Rinard and his graduate students Michael Carbin, Sasa Misailovic and Michael Kling #-Link-Snipped-# to tackle this problem at the 25th European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming in Lancaster, England this July. The group led by Prof. Rinard have designed a software called PDF which can identify an infinite loop and if the machine is stuck in between in this loop due to incorrect coding, then Jolt simply directs the function to move ahead to execute next instruction.
In the conference, the group demonstrated jolt which was able to move the hung computers to stable enough states which helps you to at least save your data and exit safely, however in majority of cases it showed better performance there by giving you at the very least, partial solution of the computations which they were earlier trying to perform.
How does it work?
Loops form the basic element of our computing system which makes up our programs. At any instance there are hundreds and thousands of infinite loops simultaneously running in our system. The new software tool is designed to monitor computer's memory.
Jolt works in synchronization with compiler which translates the codes written in a high level language in to basic or crude language which the computer can understand. When the instructions are compiled to this crude language, Jolt marks the beginning and end of the instructions. Now, it must be understood our computer not always gets hung because of infinite loop. However when it does, the possibility cannot be ruled out. So you simply need to activate this program in case of any doubt. Jolt then takes up the series of "snapshots" of computer memory after each iteration is performed. The snapshots taken in infinite loop condition with that of a normal condition varies, if your computer is constantly repeating the same process without breaking out of it, then the software concludes that your system is clearly stuck in an infinite loop.  Jolt the simply forces the instruction to next steps.
Is it a total solution?
Well yes and no. Although the latest software tool gives users a chance to save their data and also get a partial solution at times, it also has some inherent disadvantages. While "Jolt" is running, you will have to keep your tabs close. For all your tabs open, the program runs 7 to 8% slower than the close condition; there by making you even more frustrated that your computer is running slow.
Seeing this limitation Prof. Rider and his team is working on an advanced version of Jolt which will operate directly on compiled applications. The instructions in this case will basically consist of binary number. As this will be running on Binary instructions, the scientists have christened this version of Jolt as Bolt. The mechanism in Jolt is same as that of the Jolt. However Rider and his students were trying to configure which instruction to jump to once the problematic loop has been identified. To solve this difficulty Michael Kling has developed an algorithm which makes Bolt identify which was the instruction which initiated others.
The software tool which Rinard and his group just gave the world is actually an "out of the box idea" because any computer engineer would think a hundred times before modifying any code at random lest it might turn into a still graver problem. However, Rider and his team have cleverly given a solution to save all data before you hit CTRL+S!
#-Link-Snipped-#
Graphic: Christine Daniloff
Researchers from MIT Prof. Martin Rinard and his graduate students Michael Carbin, Sasa Misailovic and Michael Kling #-Link-Snipped-# to tackle this problem at the 25th European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming in Lancaster, England this July. The group led by Prof. Rinard have designed a software called PDF which can identify an infinite loop and if the machine is stuck in between in this loop due to incorrect coding, then Jolt simply directs the function to move ahead to execute next instruction.
In the conference, the group demonstrated jolt which was able to move the hung computers to stable enough states which helps you to at least save your data and exit safely, however in majority of cases it showed better performance there by giving you at the very least, partial solution of the computations which they were earlier trying to perform.
How does it work?
Loops form the basic element of our computing system which makes up our programs. At any instance there are hundreds and thousands of infinite loops simultaneously running in our system. The new software tool is designed to monitor computer's memory.
Jolt works in synchronization with compiler which translates the codes written in a high level language in to basic or crude language which the computer can understand. When the instructions are compiled to this crude language, Jolt marks the beginning and end of the instructions. Now, it must be understood our computer not always gets hung because of infinite loop. However when it does, the possibility cannot be ruled out. So you simply need to activate this program in case of any doubt. Jolt then takes up the series of "snapshots" of computer memory after each iteration is performed. The snapshots taken in infinite loop condition with that of a normal condition varies, if your computer is constantly repeating the same process without breaking out of it, then the software concludes that your system is clearly stuck in an infinite loop.  Jolt the simply forces the instruction to next steps.
Is it a total solution?
Well yes and no. Although the latest software tool gives users a chance to save their data and also get a partial solution at times, it also has some inherent disadvantages. While "Jolt" is running, you will have to keep your tabs close. For all your tabs open, the program runs 7 to 8% slower than the close condition; there by making you even more frustrated that your computer is running slow.
Seeing this limitation Prof. Rider and his team is working on an advanced version of Jolt which will operate directly on compiled applications. The instructions in this case will basically consist of binary number. As this will be running on Binary instructions, the scientists have christened this version of Jolt as Bolt. The mechanism in Jolt is same as that of the Jolt. However Rider and his students were trying to configure which instruction to jump to once the problematic loop has been identified. To solve this difficulty Michael Kling has developed an algorithm which makes Bolt identify which was the instruction which initiated others.
The software tool which Rinard and his group just gave the world is actually an "out of the box idea" because any computer engineer would think a hundred times before modifying any code at random lest it might turn into a still graver problem. However, Rider and his team have cleverly given a solution to save all data before you hit CTRL+S!
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