LIGHT-WEIGHT VALIDATION OF NATIVE IMAGES

• US 20120323858A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rayhelson, Michael, Kanamori, Atsushi, Biswas, Surupa, Kotas, Jan, Nagarkar, Pracheeti, Hanna, Fadi
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/687
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

One or more identifiers that facilitate efficient native image validation can be generated and stored in an auxiliary file upon pre-compiling of an assembly. The native image can be validated against an assembly from which the native image is generated, among other files that influence the generated contents of the native image, based upon the auxiliary file and included identifiers. Additionally, native image validation can be performed in an increasing cost sequence associated with each identifier included within the auxiliary file.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating validating a native image, comprising:

employing at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

validating a native image with an assembly based upon metadata created during a pre-compilation of the assembly to generate the native image, the metadata includes a last modified timestamp (LMT) corresponding to the assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises validating the native image at runtime.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises validating the native image at an additional pre-compilation of the assembly to generate the native image.

4. The method of claim 1, the metadata includes at least one of a module version identifier, a strong name hash, or a targeted patch band attribute.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprises validating the native image with the metadata based upon an increasing order of system resource expense.

6. The method of claim 1 the metadata is stored proximate to the native image.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises validating the native image with a common language runtime.

8. A system that facilitates native image validation, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute the following computer-executable components stored in the memory;

a first component configured to validate a native image against an assembly based upon an auxiliary file created at a pre-compilation of the assembly to generate the native image.

9. The system of claim 8, the auxiliary file includes a last modified timestamp identifier and at least one of a module version identifier, a strong name hash identifier, or a targeted patch band attribute identifier.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a second component configured to load the native image based upon the validation at runtime.

11. The system of claim 9, the first component validates the native image at an additional pre-compilation of the assembly to generate the native image.

12. The system of claim 9, the first component compares the last modified timestamp identifier included with the auxiliary file with a last modified timestamp identifier associated with the assembly to ascertain validity of the native image.

13. The system of claim 12, the last modified timestamp identifier associated with the assembly is acquired by at least one of a file system or an operating system.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprises a third component configured to store the last modified timestamp identifier and the at least one of the module version identifier, the strong name hash identifier, or the targeted patch band attribute identifier into the auxiliary file proximate to the native image.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprises a fourth component configured to validate the native image based upon an increasing order of system resource expense for each of the last modified timestamp identifier and at least one of the module version identifier, the strong name hash identifier, or the targeted patch band attribute identifier.

16. The system of claim 15, the increasing order is the last modified timestamp identifier, the module version identifier, and the targeted patch band attribute identifier for the assembly that does not include a strong name hash.

17. The system of claim 15, the increasing order is the last modified timestamp identifier, the strong name hash identifier, and the targeted patch band attribute identifier for the assembly that includes a strong name hash.

18. The system of claim 9, the assembly includes code with a plurality of virtual instructions that are translated to create the native image with native instructions understandable by a host machine.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that enables at least one processor to perform the following acts:

validating a native image with assembly based upon an auxiliary file created during a pre-compilation of the assembly to generate the native image, the auxiliary file includes a last modified timestamp (LMT) corresponding to the assembly.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the auxiliary file includes a module version identifier, a strong name hash identifier, or a targeted patch band attribute identifier.