Identification of software configuration data

• US 20070100820A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Block, Matthew, Temereanca, Ovidiu, Mastrian, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,006,242 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

Abstract

Identification of software configuration data. One or more binary files from a memory area in a computing device are identified. The binary files include information relating to execution of software. One or more strings from the identified binary files are extracted according to a rule. The rule defines requirements associated with the configuration data. A list of strings is generated from those extracted one or more strings, each of the strings in the generated list refers to configuration data in the memory area. The configuration data may be transferred to another machine, backed up, or used for informational purposes.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device for identifying configuration data associated with software, said configuration data being stored in a memory, said method comprising:

identifying binary files from the memory area in the computing device, said binary files belonging to the software;

extracting strings from the identified binary files according to a rule, said rule defining requirements associated with the configuration data, said extracted strings identifying configuration data;

generating a list of strings from the extracted strings, each of the strings in the generated list of strings referring to configuration data in the data store; and

employing the configuration data identified by each of the strings in the generated list of strings.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the generated list by removing a subset of strings from the list which are associated with system software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying comprises identifying the binary files from the memory area or identifying the binary files from a file, and wherein extracting comprises extracting strings from the identified binary files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated list includes one of the following:

the names of the configuration data and the configuration data itself.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary files include at least one of the following:

executable files, executable library files, and executable object files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated list of strings do not refer to data that does not exist in a data store.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating comprises generating the list of strings referring to configuration data in the memory area, said memory area storing data associated with an environment to operate the software and storing data associated with the computing device where the software is installed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein employing comprises one or more of the following:

migrating the configuration data, removing the configuration data, backing up the configuration data, identifying the configuration data, or repackaging the configuration data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more tangible computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

10. A system for identifying configuration data associated with software, said system comprising:

a data store for storing binary files, software, a rule, and configuration data associated with software;

a processor executing computer-executable instructions for;

identifying binary files from the data store in a computing device, said binary files including information relating to execution of the software;

extracting strings from the identified binary files according to the rule, said rule defining requirements associated with the configuration data;

generating a list of strings from the extracted strings, each of the strings in the generated list of strings referring to configuration data in the data store, the list of strings not including the extracted strings which do not refer to configuration data in the data store; and

employing the configuration data identified by each of the strings in the generated list of strings.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for filtering the generated list by removing a set of configuration data from the list which are associated with system software.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein processor is configured to identify the binary files from a file, and wherein the processor is configured to extract strings from the identified binary files.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to perform at least one of the following operations:

migrating the configuration data, removing the configuration data, backing up the configuration data, identifying the configuration data, or repackaging the configuration data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the list of strings that refer to configuration data in a data store, said data store storing data associated with an environment to operate the software and storing data associated with a computing device where the software is installed.

15. One or more tangible computer-readable media having computer-executable components for identifying configuration data associated with software, said computer-executable components comprising:

a storage component for storing binary files, software, a rule, and configuration data associated with software;

a search component for identifying binary files from the data store in a computing device, said binary files including information relating to execution of the software;

a parser component for parsing strings from the identified binary files according to the rule, said rule defining requirements associated with the configuration data; and

an output component for composing a list of strings from the parsed strings, each of the strings in the composed list of strings referring to configuration data in the data store.

16. The tangible computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the output component further comprising removing a set of strings from the composed list if the configuration data referred by the set of strings is accessed by the software and other software in the computing device.

17. The tangible computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the parser component parses strings from the identified binary files, and wherein the composed list includes one or more of the following:

the names of the configuration data and the configuration data itself.

18. The tangible computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the binary files include at least one of the following executable files:

executable files, executable library files, and executable object files, and wherein the list of strings does not include the parsed strings which do not refer to configuration data in the data store.

19. The tangible computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the output component composes the list of strings refer to configuration data in a data store, said data store storing data associated with an environment to operate the software and in a data store storing data associated with the computing device where the software is installed.

20. The tangible computer-readable media of claim 15, further comprising a migration component for migrating the configuration data of the software as a function of the composed list and other data associated with the software.