1. A method of collecting event occurrences within an executable program provided on a target computer system, said method comprising the steps of: a) identifying, within an executable program, a function entry point for a named function; and b) patching said executable program, including: c) copying an integral number of instructions beginning at said function entry point to a proxy function buffer to create an executable proxy routine implementing said named function; and d) providing a jump instruction at said function entry point to redirect program execution of said named function to a trace routine, wherein said trace routine provides for the execution of said executable proxy routine and the collection of event data.