Method and apparatus for providing DLL compatibility

• US 20060136890A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jodh, Santosh Sharad
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44552 Conflict resolution, i.e. enabling coexistence of conflicting executables

Abstract

A method and apparatus include comparing a called DLL file with DLL file names listed in a database. If a file name of the called DLL file is one of the DLL file names listed in the database, a compatibility mode associated with a DLL file name that matches the called DLL file is referenced. Based on the referenced compatibility mode, an operation of a processor is affected using the compatibility mode associated with the DLL file name.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a software code call;

comparing information associated with the called software code with software code information stored in a database; and

causing a processor to function in a particular manner if the information associated with the called software code is associated with at least some of the software code information stored in the database.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the software code is a library file that may be executed by a software application.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the library file is a DLL file.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the comparing step includes comparing information associated with the called DLL file with at least one of DLL file names stored in the database and known attributes of the DLL file names stored in the database.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising searching the database for a DLL file name of the called DLL file;

and if the DLL file name is found, referencing at least one compatibility mode associated with the DLL file name.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the causing step includes using the at least one compatibility mode associated with the DLL file name to affect the processor to function in a particular manner.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one compatibility mode is used by a current operating system to cause the processor to believe another version of an operating system is currently in use.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one compatibility mode is used to cause the processor to allocate additional memory each time the called DLL file allocates memory.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one compatibility mode is used to cause the processor to stop processing execute protection code, the execute protection code of the processor being designed to prevent software code from executing code in data segments.

10. An article of manufacture for use in programming a processor, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A method, comprising:

comparing a called DLL file with DLL file names listed in a database;

if a file name of the called DLL file is one of the DLL file names listed in the database, referencing a compatibility mode associated with a DLL file name that matches the called DLL file; and

affecting an operation of a processor using the compatibility mode associated with the DLL file name.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein an operating system affects the operation of the processor using the compatibility mode associated with the DLL File name.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the compatibility mode is an instruction used by the operating system to indicate a version of the operating system is different than an actual version of the operating system.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising if the file name of the called DLL file is one of the DLL file names listed in the database, comparing attributes of the called DLL file with at least one attribute associated with the DLL file name in the database that matches the called DLL file name.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein referencing the compatibility mode occurs only if the database includes the DLL file name of the called DLL file and the called DLL file has an attribute that matches the at least one attribute associated with the DLL file name in the database.