METHOD AND MACHINE-READABLE MEDIUM FOR BUILDING DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE

• US 20080127233A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Neil, Tim, Grenier, Steve, Burgess, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/45 Exploiting coarse grain parallelism in compilation, i.e. parallelism between groups of instructions

Abstract

In a method for building distributed software, a single computer program may be written which includes distinct sets of routines defining operation at distinct computing devices (or types of computing devices) in a distributed system. Direct calls may be made between routines, even if the routines define operation of distinct computing devices. Through examination and processing of the computer program, multiple computer programs which collectively constitute distributed software for the distributed system are created. Each program defines the operation of a computing device within the system. Direct calls are emulated using instructions for inter-process communication which effect remote routine invocation transparently from the perspective of the developer. In the result, the run-time operation of each output computer program at its respective target computing device is consistent with the operation defined for that computing device within the input computer program. Advantageously, the developer may be shielded from numerous implementation details.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a first set of routines in a computer program which define operation of a first computing device in a distributed system, a subset of said first set of routines being designated as remotely invokable at run time;

further identifying a second set of routines in said computer program which define operation of a second computing device in said distributed system, said second set of routines including at least one direct call to a routine of said subset; and

based on said first set of routines, said subset of said routines, and said second set of routines, creating;

a first computer program, including routines which are functionally equivalent to said first set of routines, for execution by said first computing device; and

a second computer program, including routines which are functionally equivalent to said second set of routines, for execution by said second computing device, wherein said at least one direct call to said routine of said subset is emulated with instructions for remotely invoking a functional equivalent of said routine within said first computer program by way of an inter-process communication mechanism supported by said distributed system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said identifying and said further identifying comprises performing reflection upon compiled code which has been compiled from source code of said computer program.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said compiled code is byte code, object code, or machine code.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said creating a second computer program comprises:

based on said identified second set of routines, isolating source code associated with said second set of routines from the source code of said computer program, said isolating resulting in isolated source code;

from said isolated source code, creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code, said creating resulting in functionally equivalent source code;

for each routine of said subset of routines, generating source code for a stub routine having a same signature as said routine of said subset but containing instructions for remotely invoking a functionally equivalent routine within said first computer program using an inter-process communication mechanism supported by said distributed system, said generating resulting in stub routine source code; and

generating, from said functionally equivalent source code and said stub routine source code, an executable version of said second computer program.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises copying said isolated source code.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises translating said isolated source code into another programming language.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said generating an executable version of said second computer program comprises compiling said functionally equivalent source code and said stub routine source code.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said creating a first computer program comprises:

isolating source code associated with said first set of routines from the source code of said computer program, said isolating resulting in isolated source code;

based on said isolated source code, creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code, said creating resulting in functionally equivalent source code; and

from said functionally equivalent source code, creating an executable version of said first computer program.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises copying said isolated source code.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises translating said isolated source code into another programming language.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein said source code of said computer program is written in an object-oriented programming language, wherein said first set of routines comprises methods of a first set of classes, and wherein said identifying said first set of routines comprises identifying classes having a common first base class, wherein said second set of routines comprises methods of a second set of classes, and wherein said further identifying said second set of routines comprises identifying classes having a common second base class.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein each routine of said subset of routines is identifiable by a common attribute.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said common attribute is a code attribute.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said identifying and said further identifying comprises parsing source code of said computer program.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a first set of routines in a computer program having a first common purpose, a subset of said first set of routines being designated as remotely invokable at run time;

further identifying a second set of routines in said computer program having a second common purpose, said second set of routines including at least one direct call to a routine of said subset; and

based on said first set of routines, said subset of said routines, and said second set of routines, creating;

a first computer program, including routines which are functionally equivalent to said first set of routines, for execution by a first computing device of a distributed system; and

a second computer program, including routines which are functionally equivalent to said second set of routines, for execution by a second computing device of said distributed system, wherein said at least one direct call to said routine of said subset is emulated with instructions for remotely invoking a functional equivalent of said routine within said first computer program by way of an inter-process communication mechanism supported by said distributed system. 40

16. A machine-readable medium containing machine-executable code for creating distributed software, said machine-readable medium comprising:

machine-executable code for identifying a first set of routines in a computer program which define operation of a first computing device in a distributed system, a subset of said first set of routines being designated as remotely invokable at run time;

machine-executable code for further identifying a second set of routines in said computer program which define operation of a second computing device in said distributed system, said second set of routines including at least one direct call to a routine of said subset; and

machine-executable code for creating, based on said first set of routines, said subset of said routines, and said second set of routines;

a first computer program including routines which are functionally equivalent to said first set of routines for execution by said first computing device; and

a second computer program including routines which are functionally equivalent to said second set of routines for execution by said second computing device, wherein said at least one direct call to said routine of said subset is emulated with instructions for remotely invoking a functional equivalent of said routine within said first computer program by way of an inter-process communication mechanism supported by said distributed system.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 wherein each of said machine-executable code for identifying and said machine-executable code for further identifying comprises machine-executable code for performing reflection upon compiled code which has been compiled from source code of said computer program.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said compiled code is byte code, object code, or machine code.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said machine-executable code for creating a second computer program comprises:

machine-executable code for, based on said identified second set of routines, isolating source code associated with said second set of routines from the source code of said computer program, said isolating resulting in isolated source code;

machine-executable code for creating source code from said isolated source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code, said creating resulting in functionally equivalent source code;

machine-executable code for generating, for each routine of said subset of routines, source code for a stub routine having a same signature as said routine of said subset but containing instructions for remotely invoking an functionally equivalent routine within said first computer program using an inter-process communication mechanism supported by said distributed system, said generating resulting in stub routine source code; and

machine-executable code for generating, from said functionally equivalent source code and said stub routine source code, an executable version of said second computer program.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said machine-executable code for creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises machine-executable code for copying said isolated source code.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said machine-executable code for creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises machine-executable code for translating said isolated source code into another programming language.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said machine-executable code for generating an executable version of said second computer program comprises machine-executable code for compiling said functionally equivalent source code and said stub routine source code.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said machine-executable code for creating a first computer program comprises:

machine-executable code for isolating source code associated with said first set of routines from the source code of said computer program, said isolating resulting in isolated source code;

machine-executable code for creating, based on said isolated source code, source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code, said creating resulting in functionally equivalent source code; and

machine-executable code for creating, from said functionally equivalent source code, an executable version of said first computer program.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 wherein said machine-executable code for creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises machine-executable code for copying said isolated source code.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 wherein said machine-executable code for creating source code which is functionally equivalent to said isolated source code comprises machine-executable code for translating said isolated source code into another programming language.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said source code of said computer program is written in an object-oriented programming language, wherein said first set of routines comprises methods in a first set of classes, and wherein said machine-executable code for identifying said first set of routines comprises machine-executable code for identifying classes having a common first base class, wherein said second set of routines comprises methods in a second set of classes, and wherein said machine-executable code for further identifying said second set of routines comprises machine-executable code for identifying classes having a common second base class.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein each routine of said subset of routines is identifiable by a common attribute.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27 wherein said common attribute is a code attribute.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 wherein each of said machine-executable code for identifying and said machine-executable code for further identifying comprises machine-executable code for parsing source code of said computer program.

30. A machine-readable medium containing code for creating distributed software, said machine-readable medium comprising:

machine-executable code for creating, within a computer program which defines operation of a first computing device and which includes a direct call to a routine which defines operation of a second computing device, a stub routine having a same signature as said routine, said stub routine including instructions for remotely invoking said routine at said second computing device using an inter-process communication mechanism, such that when said computer program is executed at said first computing device and said direct call is made, said stub routine is invoked.

31. A machine-readable medium containing code for execution at a computing device for creating distributed software, said machine-readable medium comprising:

machine-executable code for identifying a first set of routines in a computer program having a first common purpose, a subset of said first set of routines being designated as remotely invokable at run time;

machine-executable code for further identifying a second set of routines in said computer program having a second common purpose, said second set of routines including at least one direct call to a routine of said subset; and

machine-executable code for creating, based on said identified first set of routines, said subset of said routines, and said second set of routines;

a first computer program including routines which are functionally equivalent to said first set of routines for execution by a first computing device of a distributed system; and

a second computer program including routines which are functionally equivalent to said second set of routines for execution by a second computing device of said distributed system, wherein said at least one direct call to said routine of said subset is emulated with instructions for remotely invoking a functional equivalent of said routine within said first computer program by way of an inter-process communication mechanism supported by said distributed system.