REALTIME TRACKING OF SOFTWARE COMPONENTS

• US 20120304152A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BALDWIN, Timothy J., JOHNSON, Peter J., LOCKE, David, XU, Fenglian
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

The disclosure is for run-time accessing a software component is provided, together with a computer system embodying the same, and a software utility directing the method. Initially a software component is loaded and analysed to identify one or more features thereof, which features are checked against a database. Following the check, the component is classified as one of at least first, second, and third component types. A first component type is run without amendment. A second component type is replaced by a component of equivalent functionality prior to running. A third component type is blocked from running.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

loading a software component;

analyzing the software component by identifying one or more features thereof and checking said one or more features against a database;

classifying the software component as one of a set of component types; and

performing an action on the component, which action is dictated by the component type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the classifying of the component comprises classifying the component as one of at least first, second and third component types;

wherein a component classified as a first component type is run without amendment;

wherein a component classified as a second component type is replaced by a component of equivalent functionality prior to running; and

wherein a component classified as a third component type is blocked from running.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a component classified as a first component type is given a secondary classification by the analysis step indicating whether or not further analysis is required.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein when the analyzing is unable to classify a component as being of first, second or third component types, the component is allocated the third component type and blocked from running.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the classification of a component as of third component type triggers the generation of an error message.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

loading a plurality of components and, for said plurality, determining the percentage that fall into each of the set of component types.

7. The method of claim 2, comprising:

for an identified first component type and by reference to the database, determining whether there is a charge associated with usage of that first component type and, if so, periodically determining an accumulated charge resulting from actual usage of the identified first component.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining of the accumulated charge includes determining usage of all loaded components and identifying the percentage of that usage involving said identified first component type.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each software component has an associated identifier, the database contains a table of identifiers with a component type specified for each, and the step of analyzing comprises looking up the identifier in the database to determine the type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each software component has an associated identifier, the database contains a table of key portions with a component type specified for each, and the step of analyzing comprises scanning the identifier of a code portion to identify one or more of said key portions therein and looking up the identified key portion or portions in the database to determine the type.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each software component has an associated identifier, the database contains a table of identifier formats, and the step of analyzing comprises determining whether the identifier of a downloaded component has an identifier in a format stored in the database and, if not, determining the type for that downloaded component as being the third type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the database contains an inventory of software code portions with a component type specified for each, and the step of analyzing comprises parsing a downloaded code portion to identify the presence therein of any such inventoried code portions, and comparing the same with the database to determine the type.

13. A method comprising the steps of:

loading a software component;

analyzing the software component by identifying one or more features thereof and checking said one or more features against a database;

classifying the software component as one of a set of component types; and

performing an action on the component, which action is dictated by the component type, wherein

wherein a component classified as a first component type is run without amendment when the action is performed;

wherein a component classified as a second component type is replaced by a component of equivalent functionality prior to running when the action is performed; and

wherein a component classified as a third component type is blocked from running when the action is performed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the database contains an inventory of software code portions with a component type specified for each, and the step of analyzing comprises parsing a downloaded code portion to identify the presence therein of any such inventoried code portions, and comparing the same with the database to determine the type.