Binary dependency database

• US 20050165823A1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ondrusek, Bohus, Santos, Patrick Joseph Dinio, Burrows, Kevin Ward
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention facilitates the analysis of binaries, components, configurations, and their footprints for component design and optimization. Complete and meaningful binary, component, configuration, and footprint information allows formal methods for component analysis and configuration optimization. A binary dependency database persists and stores binary dependency information. The binary dependency database provides detailed dependency information among binaries.

Claims

1. A method for linking binary dependency relationships, comprising:

obtaining dependency relationships relating to binaries;

storing the dependency relationships within a binary dependency database; and

providing dependency information relating to the binaries that links dependencies that may span across binaries and functions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, classifying the dependency relationships into dependency types.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein classifying the dependency relationships into the dependency types further comprises selecting at least one dependency type from a static type and a dynamic type.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a strength of a bond relating to the binaries.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining at least first order dependencies.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a likelihood of whether the dependency is required.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing analysis regarding a footprint associated with specific binaries.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining binary dependency clusters within the binaries.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a vector to represent dependency information for one of the binaries.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising creating a dependency matrix comprising at least two of the vectors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dependency matrix is an nth order dependency matrix.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising obtaining a full dependency matrix and identifying binary circular dependency clusters.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the dependency relationships relating to the binaries further comprises determining static and dynamic dependencies.

14. A system for linking binary dependency relationships, comprising:

a software system containing binaries;

a binary dependency database that is configured to store static and dynamic dependency relationships relating to the binaries; and

a processing tool for processing the dependency relationships.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising, classifying the dependency relationships into dependency types.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the binary database further comprises a strength of a bond between the binaries.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing tool further comprises performing an analysis regarding a footprint associated with the binaries.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing tool further comprises using at least one matrix to represent dependency information for the binaries.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising calculating a full dependency matrix to identify binary circular dependency clusters.

20. A computer-readable medium relating to binary dependency relationships, comprising:

obtaining static and dynamic dependency relationships relating to binaries;

storing the relationships within a binary dependency database such that the relationships span across binaries; and

providing a processing tool for processing the dependency relationships.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising, classifying the dependency relationships into dependency types.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising determining a strength of a bond between the binaries.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising performing analysis regarding a footprint associated with specific binaries selected from the binaries.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising determining binary dependency clusters within the binaries.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising creating a dependency matrix.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising obtaining a full dependency matrix and identifying binary circular dependency clusters.