Find and Track Information Of Interface Usage Of Software Libraries By Other Software

• US 20120131539A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Das, Kushal
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589

Abstract

A library controller that ranks shared libraries that are available from an operating system is described. In one embodiment, the library controller receives multiple different software, where each of the different software use one or more of the shared libraries. The library controller extracts library usage details for each of the multiple different software and provisioning details from each of the shared libraries. Furthermore, the library controller ranks the shared libraries based on the library usage and provisioning details.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to rank a plurality of shared libraries available for an operating system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a library controller, a plurality of different software, wherein each of the plurality of different software uses one or more of the plurality shared libraries;

for each of the plurality of different software, extracting library usage details for the one or more of the plurality of different software;

determining library provisioning details for each of the plurality of software libraries provided by the operating system; and

ranking the plurality of shared libraries based on the library usage and provisioning details.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the library usage details includes one or more of symbols and symbol version required.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the library provisioning details includes one or more of symbols and symbol version provided.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the extracting the library usage details for each of the one or more plurality of different software comprises:

retrieving symbols from a dynamic symbol table included in that software; and

retrieving versions of the retrieved symbols.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining the library provisioning details for each of the plurality of software libraries comprises:

extracting the library provisioning details from symbol tables included in that library.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

saving the library usage details in a database.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

saving the library provisioning details in a database.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a first library of the plurality of libraries is ranked higher than a second library of the plurality of libraries if the first library is used by more of the plurality of different software than the second library.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a first library of the plurality of libraries is ranked higher than a second library of the plurality of libraries if the first library is used by more popular ones of the plurality of different software than the second library.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the library usage and provisioning details.

11. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a plurality of different software, wherein each of the plurality of different software uses one or more of a plurality shared libraries;

for each of the plurality of different software, extracting library usage details for the one or more of the plurality of different software;

determining library provisioning details for each of the plurality of software libraries provided by the operating system; and

ranking the plurality of shared libraries based on the library usage and provisioning details.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the library usage details includes one or more of symbols and symbol version required.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the library provisioning details includes one or more of symbols and symbol version provided.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the extracting the library usage details for each of the one or more plurality of different software comprises:

retrieving symbols from a dynamic symbol table included in that software; and

retrieving versions of the retrieved symbols.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining the library provisioning details for each of the plurality of software libraries comprises:

extracting the library provisioning details from symbol tables included in that library.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein a first library of the plurality of libraries is ranked higher than a second library of the plurality of libraries if the first library is used by more of the plurality of different software than the second library.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein a first library of the plurality of libraries is ranked higher than a second library of the plurality of libraries if the first library is used by more popular ones of the plurality of different software than the second library.

18. A library interface processing device comprising:

a receiving module to receive a plurality of different software, wherein each of the plurality of different software uses one or more of a plurality shared libraries;

a library usage module, coupled to the receiving module, to extract, for each of the plurality of different software, library usage details for the one or more of the plurality of different software;

a library provisioning module, coupled to the library usage module, to determine library provisioning details for each of the plurality of software libraries provided by the operating system; and

an analysis module, coupled to the library provisioning module, to rank the plurality of shared libraries based on the library usage and provisioning details.

19. The library interface processing device of claim 18, wherein the library usage details includes one or more of symbols and symbol version required.

20. The library interface processing device of claim 18, wherein the library provisioning details includes one or more of symbols and symbol version provided.