METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING EXECUTION OF VIRTUAL APPLICATIONS

• US 20120203807A1
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Code Systems Incorporated (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Code Systems Incorporated (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Larimore, Stefan I., Obata, Kenji C., Zeller, Mark Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/152 Virtualized environment, e.g. logically partitioned system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections

Abstract

A system and method for directing download and execution of an application. A runtime engine receives an identifier of a block of shared memory from a directing process. The shared memory stores a map indicating which portions of an application file have been stored in a local copy of the application file. The runtime engine also receives an instruction from the directing process to execute the local copy when the local copy stores less than the entire application file. As the application executes, the runtime engine identifies requests from the application to access portions of the local copy and uses the map to determine whether the requested portions have been stored in the local copy. If the requested portions are not stored in the local copy, the runtime engine prevents the executing application from accessing the local copy until the map indicates the requested portions have been stored therein.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for use with a virtual runtime engine, the method being performed by a directing process, the method comprising:

instructing the virtual runtime engine separate from the directing process to execute a virtual application file to thereby initiate execution of a virtual application at least partially implemented by the virtual application file;

allocating a block of shared memory, the virtual runtime engine being configured to access the identified block of shared memory;

pausing execution of the virtual application by storing in the block of shared memory an indication that execution of the virtual application is to be paused, the virtual runtime engine being configured to read the indication that execution of the virtual application is to be paused and after the reading thereof, prevent the virtual application from accessing the virtual application file; and

resuming execution of the virtual application by storing in the block of shared memory an indication that execution of the virtual application is to be resumed, the virtual runtime engine being configured to read the indication that execution of the virtual application is to be resumed and after the reading thereof, allow the virtual application to access the virtual application file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pausing execution of the virtual application further comprises triggering a signal event detectable by the virtual runtime engine, the virtual runtime engine being configured to detect the signal event and in response thereto, read the indication stored in the block of shared memory that execution of the virtual application is to be paused.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein resuming execution of the virtual application further comprises triggering a signal event detectable by the virtual runtime engine, the virtual runtime engine being configured to detect the signal event and in response thereto, read the indication stored in the block of shared memory that execution of the virtual application is to be resumed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a user or another process separate from the virtual runtime engine and the directing process to pause execution of the virtual application and in response thereto, pausing execution of the virtual application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a user or another process separate from the virtual runtime engine and the directing process to resume execution of the virtual application and in response thereto, resuming execution of the virtual application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a session with the virtual runtime engine, a session identifier being associated with the session; and

passing the session identifier to the virtual runtime engine, the virtual runtime engine being configured to use the session identifier to locate the block of shared memory.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting execution of the virtual application has terminated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting execution of the virtual application has terminated comprises detecting a sentinel object no longer exists, the existence of the sentinel object indicating the virtual application file is still executing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the sentinel object no longer exists further comprises polling to determine whether the sentinel object exists.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual application is executing on an operating system that maintains a reference count for each named kernel object, the reference count indicating how many objects have references to the named kernel object,

when the virtual application begins executing, a first thread begins executing, a sentinel object that is a named kernel object is created, and the first thread has a reference to the sentinel object, and

detecting execution of the virtual application has terminated comprises detecting the sentinel object has a reference count equal to zero.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein as the virtual application executes, one or more other threads are created and each begin executing, each of the one or more other threads having a reference to the sentinel object.

12-26. -26. (canceled)