Dynamically programmable embedded agents
First Claim
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1. In a device that has an embedded agent, a method of obtaining an upgrade for the embedded agent, comprising:
- providing an embedded agent having one or more existing program modules configured to obtain test data, wherein the embedded agent includes one or more agent modules in addition to the existing program modules; and
receiving a new program module and storing the new program module such that the new program module is made available to the embedded agent, wherein;
the new program module is encoded in machine code; and
the new program module has been tested using a test agent prior to being received at the device.
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Abstract
Agents embedded in connectivity devices are dynamically reprogrammed or upgraded without appreciably altering the footprint, requiring the entire agent to be replaced, or exposing the rest of the computing system to possible corruption or failure. The invention is achieved by constructing an agent with a modular programming data structure or architecture and embedding that agent in a connectivity device. New program modules that have been tested in a test agent similar to the embedded agent are added to the embedded agent as new or replacement modules.
26 Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a device that has an embedded agent, a method of obtaining an upgrade for the embedded agent, comprising:
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providing an embedded agent having one or more existing program modules configured to obtain test data, wherein the embedded agent includes one or more agent modules in addition to the existing program modules; and
receiving a new program module and storing the new program module such that the new program module is made available to the embedded agent, wherein;
the new program module is encoded in machine code; and
the new program module has been tested using a test agent prior to being received at the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for dynamically monitoring the status of a connectivity device having embedded agent software, the method comprising:
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operating the embedded agent with one or more existing program modules, wherein the embedded agent includes one or more agent modules that communicate with the existing program modules;
from a network device, transmitting system test data to the embedded agent;
receiving returned test data from the embedded agent; and
determining based on the returned test data whether to alter one or more existing program modules in the embedded agent by;
transmitting to the embedded agent a new program module; and
storing the new program module such that the new program module is made available to the embedded agent. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A dynamic embedded agent comprising:
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an input/output module;
a control module;
at least one program module that includes code for implementing an operation of the embedded agent, the at least one program module having been compiled and tested in a test agent prior to being made available to the embedded agent; and
an application program that enables the input/output module and the control module to communicate with the at least one program module. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A dynamic embedded agent comprising:
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at least one program module that includes code for implementing an operation of the embedded agent to obtain test data, the at least one program module having been compiled and tested in a test agent prior to being made available to the embedded agent;
agent code configured to interface with the program module to enable the program module to create test data in response to the operation of the embedded agent and to initiate the transmission of the test data in data packets; and
a microkernel configured to preformat the data packets prior to transmitting the data packets to an operating system associated with the agent. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification