System and method for performing context checks

• US 6,453,311 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1994
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Powers, John Richard III
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/239,138
• Time in Patent Office: 3,056 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 707/2, 709/318
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method is described which provides for context checking of an operating environment. A context manager controls the execution of context checks requested by applications or processes. In one embodiment, the context check modules are defined as self-contained modules located in a database. When the data base is opened, these modules are loaded and registered with the context manager. Upon occurrence of certain user actions, the context manager will issue an event to cause the appropriate modules to perform a context check of certain context of the environment. The resulting context information is stored in memory by the context manager and provided to the applications by the context manager when needed. One advantage is that the context checks performed can be changed simply by adding or deleting modules from the database. In other embodiments, context checking functions can also be provided by providing context files, which are loaded at initiation of the context manager and are independent of the database utilized, and by providing certain highly repeatable functions within the function of the context manager itself.

Claims

1. In a computer system comprising a processing unit executing at least one process, said computer system operating in a context, a context checking mechanism for evaluating context comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of database modules;

a delivery engine which retrieves database modules and executes instructions in accordance with database modules when said database is opened;

at least one context module stored in the database, said context module, when executed, performing a context check and providing, a result,

a memory for storage of the result;

a registered module list, each element in the list comprising an identification of each context module (“

module ID”

) and a pointer to the location of the context module; and

a context manager which manages the checking of context, said context manager retrieving said context module when said database is opened, said context manager causing the execution of the said context module upon occurrence of a specified event and providing the result of the context check when requested by a process, wherein if a first element in the list identifies a first context module having a first module ID and a second context module to be loaded has the first module ID, said context manager causing the first element to be removed from the list and a second element to be added to the list thereby overriding the first context module, said second element further comprising an identification of the location of the overridden first context module.

2. The context checking mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the second context module is unloaded and the second element of the registered module list is to be removed, said context manager re-loading the first context module, the location of which is identified in the second element of the registered module list.

3. In a computer system comprising a processing unit executing at least one process, said computer system operating in a context, a context checking mechanism for evaluating context comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of database modules;

a delivery engine which retrieves database modules and executes instructions in accordance with database modules when said database is opened, wherein the deliver engine executing a database module requests a result of a context check;

at least one context module stored in the database, said context module, when executed, performing the context check and providing the result;

a memory for storage of the result;

a context manager which manages the checking of context, said context manager retrieving said context module when said database is opened, said context manager causing the execution of the said context module upon occurrence of a specified event and providing the result of the context when requested by a process.

4. The context checking mechanism as set forth in claim 3, wherein the database module identifies a next database module the delivery engine is to retrieve and execute based upon the result of the context.

5. In a computer system comprising a processing unit executing at least one process, said computer system operating in a context, a context checking mechanism for evaluating context comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of database modules;

a delivery engine which retrieves database modules and executes instructions in accordance with database modules when said database is opened;

at least one context module stored in the database, said context module, when executed, performing a context check and providing a result;

a memory for storage of the result;

a context manager which manages the checking of contest, said context manager retrieving said context module when said database is opened, said context manager causing the execution of the said context module upon occurrence of a specified event and providing the result of the context when requested by a process, wherein said context manager retrieves and loads a copy of the context module when the database is opened, said context manager further unloading the context module when the database is closed, wherein the context modules are executed when the database is opened.