Verifying dynamically generated operations on a data store

• US 20060047658A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reed, Jeffrey E., Sceppa, David E., Wu, Guang-an, Baird, Justin, Bogdan, Sander B., Stone, James M. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Verifying dynamically generated operations on a data store includes carrying out setup actions for access to the data store, the setup actions being based at least in part on a request for which the dynamically generated operations will be generated. The carrying out of setup actions includes permissions being set for portions of the data store to establish a restricted portion of the data store and an unrestricted portion of the data store, as well as using one or more additional techniques to check whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion or to lock access to parts of the unrestricted portion. After the dynamically generated operations are performed, a verification is made that no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations. If unexpected work was performed then the operations are determined to be not correct for the request.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, causes the one or more processors to:

set permissions on a data store to allow access to only an unrestricted portion of the data store, the unrestricted portion of the data store excluding a first portion of the data store that should not be accessed by one or more operations on the data store that are dynamically generated for a request; and

check, after the one or more operations are performed, whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion.

2. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the unexpected changes include any addition, deletion, or modification of data in the unrestricted portion that should not have been changed in order to carry out the request.

3. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to;

capture a first snapshot of part of the unrestricted portion before the one or more operations are performed, and

capture a second snapshot of the part of the unrestricted portion after the one or more operations are performed; and

to check whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion is to compare the first snapshot and the second snapshot.

4. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the part of the unrestricted portion comprises that part of the unrestricted portion that should not have been changed in order to carry out the request.

5. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are not the same.

6. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that no unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are the same.

7. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the part of the unrestricted portion is data from one or more rows of one or more tables in a database.

8. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein to capture the first snapshot is to copy a column of version values from the one or more rows before the one or more operations are performed, and to capture the second snapshot is to copy the column of version values from the one or more rows after the one or more operations are performed.

9. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein to capture the first snapshot is to copy a column of version values and a column of primary key values from the one or more rows before the one or more operations are performed, and to capture the second snapshot is to copy the column of version values and the column of primary key values from the one or more rows after the one or more operations are performed.

10. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein to check whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion is to:

request that a notification be sent by the data store of any change made to the unrestricted portion of the data store; and

analyze any notifications received from the data store to determine if any addition, deletion, or modification of data in the unrestricted portion occurred that should not have occurred to carry out the request.

11. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, causes the one or more processors to:

set permissions on a data store to allow access to only an unrestricted portion of the data store, the unrestricted portion of the data store excluding a first portion of the data store that should not be accessed by one or more operations on the data store that are dynamically generated for a request; and

lock access to a part of the data store that should not be accessed by the one or more operations, the part of the data store being included in the unrestricted portion.

12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, the data store comprising a database having a plurality of tables, the unrestricted portion of the data store comprising one or more of the plurality of tables, and the part of the data store comprising one or more rows of at least one of the plurality of tables in the unrestricted portion.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein to lock access to the part of the data store is to prevent the one or more operations from accessing the part of the data store

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein to lock access to the part of the data store is to begin one or more update transactions to the data in the part of the data store, but not complete the one or more update transactions until after the one or more operations are performed.

15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, the request comprising a request to retrieve data from the data store.

16. A method of determining whether dynamically generated operations on a data store are correct, the method comprising:

carrying out setup actions for access to the data store, the setup actions being based at least in part on a request for which the dynamically generated operations will be generated, the carrying out including setting permissions for portions of the data store to establish a restricted portion of the data store and an unrestricted portion of the data store, the carrying out further including locking access to part of the unrestricted portion or allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion;

verifying, after the dynamically generated operations are performed, that no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations;

determining, if no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations, that the dynamically generated operations are correct for the request; and

determining, if any unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations, that the dynamically generated operations are not correct for the request.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, the allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion comprising:

capturing a first snapshot of a first part of the unrestricted portion before the dynamically generated operations are performed.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

capturing a second snapshot of the first part of the unrestricted portion after the dynamically generated operations are performed;

comparing the first snapshot and the second snapshot;

determining that unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are not the same; and

determining that no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are the same.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the first part of the unrestricted portion comprises that part of the unrestricted portion that should not have been changed in order to carry out the request.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the first part of the unrestricted portion is data from one or more rows of one or more tables in a database.

21. A method as recited in claim 16, the allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion comprising:

requesting that a notification be sent by the data store of any change made to the unrestricted portion of the data store; and

analyzing any notifications received from the data store to determine if any addition, deletion, or modification of data in the unrestricted portion occurred that should not have occurred to carry out the request.

22. A method as recited in claim 16, the locking access to part of the unrestricted portion comprising:

beginning one or more update transactions to the data in the part of the data store, but not completing the one or more update transactions until after the dynamically generated operations are performed.

23. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion only if the request is a request to modify the data store.

24. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising locking access to part of the unrestricted portion only if the request is a request to retrieve data from the data store.

25. A system comprising:

a snapshot module to check, after one or more operations on a data store are performed, whether any unexpected changes were made to a portion of the data store, the one or more operations being dynamically generated for a request; and

a lockset module to lock access to a part of the data store that should not be accessed by the one or more operations, the part of the data store being included in the portion of the data store.

26. A system as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

a permissions module to set permissions on the data store to allow access to only the portion of the data store, the portion of the data store excluding another portion of the data store that should not be accessed by the one or more operations.

27. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the snapshot module is to check whether any unexpected changes were made to the portion only if the request is a request to modify the data store.

28. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the lockset module is to lock access to the part of the data store only if the request is a request to retrieve data from the data store.

29. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the snapshot module to check whether any unexpected changes were made to the portion is to:

capture a first snapshot of a first part of the portion before the one or more operations are performed;

capture a second snapshot of the first part of the portion after the one or more operations are performed;

compare the first snapshot and the second snapshot;

determine that unexpected changes were made to the portion if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are not the same; and

determine that no unexpected changes were made to the portion if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are the same.

30. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the snapshot module to check whether any unexpected changes were made to the portion is to:

request that a notification be sent by the data store when any change is made to the portion of the data store; and

analyze any notifications received from the data store to determine if any addition, deletion, or modification of data in the portion occurred that should not have occurred to carry out the request.

31. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the lockset module to lock access to a part of the data store that should not be accessed by the one or more operations is to:

begin one or more update transactions to the data in the part of the data store, but not complete the one or more update transactions until after the one or more operations are performed.

32. A system comprising:

means for carrying out setup actions for access to a data store, the setup actions being based at least in part on a request for which dynamically generated operations will be generated, the means for carrying out including means for setting permissions for portions of the data store to establish a restricted portion of the data store and an unrestricted portion of the data store, the means for carrying out further including means for locking access to part of the unrestricted portion or means for allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion;

means for verifying, after the dynamically generated operations are performed, that no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations;

means for determining, if no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations, that the dynamically generated operations are correct for the request; and

means for determining, if any unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations, that the dynamically generated operations are not correct for the request.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, the means for allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion comprising:

means for capturing a first snapshot of a first part of the unrestricted portion before the dynamically generated operations are performed.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising:

means for capturing a second snapshot of the first part of the unrestricted portion after the dynamically generated operations are performed;

means for comparing the first snapshot and the second snapshot;

means for determining that unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are not the same; and

means for determining that no unexpected work was performed by the dynamically generated operations if the first snapshot and the second snapshot are the same.

35. A system as recited in claim 32, the means for allowing a subsequent check of whether any unexpected changes were made to the unrestricted portion comprising:

means for requesting that a notification be sent by the data store of any change made to the unrestricted portion of the data store; and

means for analyzing any notifications received from the data store to determine if any addition, deletion, or modification of data in the unrestricted portion occurred that should not have occurred to carry out the request.

36. A system as recited in claim 32, the means for locking access to part of the unrestricted portion comprising:

means for beginning one or more update transactions to the data in the part of the data store, but not completing the one or more update transactions until after the dynamically generated operations are performed.