Method for analyzing calls of application program by inserting monitoring routines into the executable version and redirecting calls to the monitoring routines

• US 5,313,616 A
• Filed: 09/18/1990
• Issued: 05/17/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 88open Consortium Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 88open Consortium Ltd.
• Inventors: Cline, David C., Wymore, Farrell W., Silverman, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrity, Paul
• Application Number:
  US07/584,189
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/575, 395/600, 395/700, 395/800, 371/19
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3612 by runtime analysis performance monitoring G06F11/3466

Abstract

A method for verifying the conformance of an application program to a set of system rules characterized by the development of a conformance database, the performance of a static analysis of the application program to determine whether the application program is in static conformance with the conformance database and the performance of a dynamic analysis of the application program to determine whether the application program is in dynamic conformance with the conformance database. The static analysis produces a graph of the basic blocks of the application program and analyzes the graph for conformance to system rules, dead code and coverage metrics. The dynamic analysis adds a small amount of monitoring code into an executable application program which monitors the application program as it is exercised in a test harness. The monitoring code produces a log database which can be analyzed for run-time non-conformities of the application program.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of verifying conformance or non-conformance of an application program to rules that define services which an operating system will provide, without requiring reference to a source code version of said application program, comprising the steps of,:

from a first binary version of said application program, forming an instrumented binary version of said application program, by inserting monitoring code instruction routines corresponding respectively to different types of requests for service, and by processing said first binary version by locating and identifying requests for services in said first binary version and redirecting each said request for service to a corresponding one of said monitoring code instruction routines in a manner so that said monitoring code instruction routines are executed in association with corresponding ones of said requests for services which occur in the first binary version,

executing said instrumented binary version of said application program including said monitoring code instruction routines;

comparing calls made while said instrumented binary version of said application program is being executed, against said rules; and

using results of said step of comparing as a basis for verifying said conformance or non-conformance.

2. The method of claim 1 further the steps of:

storing results of said step of comparing in a log database; and

analyzing said log database for conformance or non-conformance to said rules.

4. The method of claim 1 or 3 wherein said monitoring code instruction routines monitor system calls made by said application program and generate information concerning said system calls.

5. The method of claim 1 or 3 wherein said monitoring code instruction routines monitor procedure calls made by said application program and generate information concerning said procedure calls.

6. The method of claim 1 or 3 further comprising the step of generating a list of calls and parameters in the order of call execution within said application.

3. A computer implemented method for analyzing execution of an application program without requiring reference to a source code version of said application program, comprising the steps of:

from a first binary version of said application program, forming an instrumented binary version of said application program, by inserting monitoring code instruction routines corresponding respectively to different types of requests for service, and by processing said first binary version by locating and identifying requests for services in said first binary version and redirecting each said request for service to a corresponding one of said monitoring code instruction routines in a manner so that said monitoring code instruction routines are executed in association with corresponding ones of said requests for services which occur in the first binary version,

executing said instrumented binary vision program including said monitoring code instruction routines;

deriving information from the execution of said monitoring code instruction routines; and

analyzing the information.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said monitoring code instruction routines monitor block usage of said application program and generate information concerning said block usage.

8. A computer implemented method of verifying conformance or non-conformance of an application program to rules that define services which an operating system will provide, without requiring reference to a source code version of said application program, comprising the steps:

of

storing computer data corresponding to the rules,

from a first compiled executable version of said application program, forming an instrumented executable version of said application program, by inserting monitoring code instruction routines corresponding respectively to different types of requests for service, and by processing said first executable version by locating and identifying requests for services in said first executable version and redirecting each said request for service to a corresponding one of said monitoring code instruction routines in a manner so that said monitoring code instruction routines are executed in association with corresponding ones of said requests for said services which occur in said first executable version,

analyzing information about occurrences, in said instrumented executable version of said application program, of requests for said services, based on execution of said monitoring code instruction routines, with reference to the rules, and

providing an indication of conformance or non-conformance based on the results of the analyzing step.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of storing computer data corresponding to said rules includes:

inputting said rules in a formal artificial language; and

compiling said rules to create a machine-readable binary form.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said analyzing step includes

storing information received from the monitoring code instruction routines in a log;

and

analyzing said log for conformance or non-conformance to said rules.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said compiled executable version comprises a binary code version or an object code version.