Side-by-Side I/O Comparison

busTRACE 10.0 includes the ability to view two captured I/Os side-by-side. This feature can be helpful in determining any differences between the two I/Os.

To enable this feature, the first thing you do is determine which captured I/O is your comparison point. This is the I/O you want to compare other I/O activity against. Right click on the captured I/O in the I/O Capture List and choose the Set Comparison I/O option. When you do this, our Side-by-Side I/O Comparison window will appear.

Only your Comparison I/O is shown at this point. There are several capabilities you will find useful within the Side-by-Side I/O Comparison window.

You can grow the size of the window by dragging the sizing indicator in the lower right of the window.
You can move the window anywhere on your display. This can prove especially useful if you have dual monitors.
The window itself is "modeless." What this means is that you can move the window to the side, always having it visible, while you go back to the main busTRACE interface to select another I/O.

Once your Comparison I/O is set, it's time to select the I/O you want to compare it with. Simply move the Side-by-Side I/O Comparison window that is now displayed off to the side. Go back to the I/O Capture List and select any other captured I/O. Notice how the Currently Selected I/O window, in the Side-by-Side I/O Comparison window, is automatically updated with your selected I/O. If you select another I/O in the I/O Capture List, the Currently Selected I/O window will automatically show you that I/O.

You can also use this feature to compare I/O activity across two different busTRACE capture files. Simply load up both capture files, set your comparison I/O from one of the capture files, switch to the second capture file, and then choose which one you want to compare against.

Within the Side-by-Side I/O Comparison window, you are shown the Error Analysis, CDB, Raw Data, and Data Structures tabs you are already familiar with. Simply select the tab you are interested in viewing.

busTRACE automatically looks for any miscompares and shows them to you in the bottom of the window (see screenshot sample above). If the window is not large enough to display the entire message, you can either resize the window or move the mouse over the text to display a tool tip with the full results.

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