Software proves that it can cut Linux debugging by two thirds

3rd March 2014

Staff Reporter

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Undo Software has announced that Mentor Graphics has purchased and is using its UndoDB reversible debugging tool to increase productivity and develop Linux code faster. By using UndoDB, Mentor Graphics has reduced the time spent debugging code by two thirds, vital in the competitive electronic design marketplace.

UndoDB allows developers to record their program’s execution and then rewind their code in real-time to find bugs more quickly, saving time and reducing cost. Mentor Graphics initially adopted UndoDB 10 months ago in the Analog/Mixed-Signal Group (AMS) of the Deep Submicron Division, using it alongside the GNU debugger (GDB), an open source tool. They chose UndoDB because it was simple to learn, did not require Mentor to change how it developed code and provided a faster means to find issues. Using UndoDB makes it easier and faster for the AMS development team to track down problems compared to GDB.

Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year of nearly $1,090 million.

“UndoDB greatly improves our debugging time, making it up to two to three times faster than before. In addition, the learning curve for getting up to speed with UndoDB was very short because of the familiar interface and command structure,” said Jean-Marc Talbot, Senior Director of Engineering, AMS, Mentor Graphics. “The team at Undo is extremely responsive, partnering with us to meet our needs, ensuring we maximise our productivity.”

UndoDB enables software developers to use the power of reversible debugging on complex, real-world code. Tests prove that its performance is several orders of magnitude better than open source solutions, with significantly improved memory consumption.

“The success of Mentor is testament to the strengths of UndoDB,” said Greg Law, CEO and co-founder, Undo Software. “Combined with their development approach and in-house skills, the AMS team is speeding up time to market on vital projects by finding bugs faster and consequently reducing costs, delivering major benefits to the company that reinforce its market strength.”