Self-describing components within a software catalog

• US 6,564,377 B1
• Filed: 07/26/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jayasimha, Varsha, Horstmann, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/361,497
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/174-178, 707/100-103, 707/203
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

A method for installing and registering a COM component objects within a registration datastore of a computing system. The method comprising checking the COM component object to determine whether it contains a set of self-describing data, and if the COM component contains the set of self-describing data, perform a sequence of operations. These operations begin by extracting the self-describing data from the COM component. Next the operations register the COM component using the extracted self-describing data by storing registration data within the registration datastore. Finally the operations end after deriving additional registration data using the extracted self-describing data and storing the additional registration data within the registration datastore. The self-describing COM component comprises a first data field containing data representing a dynamic link library. A second data field derived from the first data field comprising a reserve word module. A third data field derived from the second data field comprising one or more self-describing component data elements. A fourth data field functioning to indicate the end of the self-describing COM component object, wherein the one or more self-describing component data elements are extracted by the system registrar module to generate data stored within the registration datastore.

Claims

1. A method for installing and registering a software objects within a registration datastore of a computing system, the method comprising:

checking the software object to determine whether it contains a set of self-describing data;

if the software contains the set of self-describing data, perform the following;

extracting the self-describing data from the software object;

registering the software object using the extracted self-describing data by storing registration data within the registration datastore; and

deriving additional registration data using the extracted self-describing data and storing the additional registration data within the registration datastore.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

extracting type library data comprises object class and interface information and storing the type library data within a system registry.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

if the software object does not contains the set of self-describing data, installing and registering the software object by calling a well-defined DllRegisterServer entry point within the software object.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the storing registration data within the registration datastore comprises:

retrieving the contents of the registration datastore into a data table;

modifying the data table; and

updating the registration datastore with the modified data table.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the checking the software object to determine whether it contains a set of self-describing data uses a reserve word module within the software object to locate the set of self-describing data.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the extracting the self-describing data from the software object uses a reserve word module within the software object to locate the set of self-describing data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the software object comprises a COM component object.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for the method recited in claim 1.

11. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process performing the method recited in claim 1.

8. A method for installing and registering a COM component objects within a registration datastore of a computing system, the method comprising:

extracting type library data comprises object class and interface information and storing the type library data within a system registry; and

checking the COM component object to determine whether it contains a set of self-describing data;

if the COM component does not contains the set of self-describing data, installing and registering the COM component by calling a well-defined DllRegisterServer entry point within the COM component;

if the COM component contains the set of self-describing data, perform the following;

extracting the self-describing data from the COM component;

registering the COM component using the extracted self-describing data by storing registration data within the registration datastore; and

deriving additional registration data using the extracted self-describing data and storing the additional registration data within the registration datastore;

wherein

storing registration data within the registration datastore comprises;

retrieving the contents of the registration datastore into a data table;

modifying the data table; and

updating the registration datastore with the modified data table;

checking the COM component object to determine whether it contains a set of self-describing data uses a reserve word module within the COM component to locate the set of self-describing data; and

the extracting the self-describing data from the COM component uses the reserve word module within the COM component to locate the set of self-describing data.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for the method recited in claim 8.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process performing the method recited in claim 8.

13. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure defining a self-describing a software object to be read by a system registrar module to install and register the self-describing software object within a registration datastore, comprising:

a first data field containing data representing a dynamic link library;

a second data field derived from the first data field comprising a reserve word module;

a third data field derived from the second data field comprising one or more self-describing component data elements; and

a fourth data field functioning to indicate the end of each self-describing software object;

wherein each self-describing component data elements are extracted by the system registrar module to generate data stored within the registration datastore.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein each self-describing component data elements comprises:

a classID attribute containing a globally unique identified for identifying the class; and

a classVersion attribute containing a 64 bit version number for the class.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein each self-describing component data elements further comprises:

a SyncronizationServices attribute for indicating the synchronization behavior for the software object;

a LoadBalancingServices attribute for indicating the load balancing behavior for the software object;

a PoolableServices attribute for indicating the pooling feature behavior for the software object; and

a JIT_activation attribute for indicating the just in time activation behavior for the software object.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein each self-describing component data elements further comprises:

a RoleAccessCheck attribute for indicating members of a specific role permitted access to the software object; and

a RoleReference attribute for performing programmatic checks for a specific role and applying different semantic behavior based upon the role membership of a caller to the software object.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein:

the software object comprises a COM component object; and

each self-describing component data elements further comprises;

an InterfaceID attribute for indicating the identity of an interface to the COM component;

a QueueServices attribute for indicating an interface to the COM component may be invoked over deferred transports;

a ProxyStubClassID attribute for indicating whether an interface to the COM component may be marshalled utilizing a custom proxy stub; and

an AutoDone attribute for whether a class within the COM component may be safely deactivated after completion of a call to the COM component.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a data structure defining a self-describing software object to be read by a system registrar module to install and register the self-describing software object within a registration datastore, comprising:

a first data field containing data representing a dynamic link library;

a second data field derived from the first data field comprising a reserve word module;

a third data field derived from the second data field comprising one or more self-describing component data elements; and

a fourth data field functioning to indicate the end of the self-describing software object;

wherein

the one or more self-describing component data elements are extracted by the system registrar module to generate data stored within the registration datastore; and

the one or more self-describing component data elements comprises;

a classID attribute containing a globally unique identified for identifying the class;

a classVersion attribute containing a 64 bit version number for the class;

a SyncronizationServices attribute for indicating the synchronization behavior for the software object;

a LoadBalancingServices attribute for indicating the load balancing behavior for the software object;

a PoolableServices attribute for indicating the pooling feature behavior for the software object;

a JIT_activation attribute for indicating the just in time activation behavior for the software object;

a RoleAccessCheck attribute for indicating members of a specific role permitted access to the software object; and

a RoleReference attribute for performing programmatic checks for a specific role and applying different semantic behavior based upon the role membership of a caller to the software object.

19. The computer data signal according to claim 18, wherein:

the software object comprises a COM component object; and

the one or more self-describing component data elements further comprises;

an InterfaceID attribute for indicating the identity of an interface to the COM component;

a QueueServices attribute for indicating an interface to the COM component may be invoked over deferred transports;

a ProxyStubClassID attribute for indicating whether an interface to the COM component may be marshalled utilizing a custom proxy stub; and

an AutoDone attribute for whether a class within the COM component may be safely deactivated after completion of a call to the COM component.