Methods for comparing versions of a program

• US 6,954,747 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2000
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatesan, Ramarathnam, Wang, Zheng, Pierce, Ken B., McFarling, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, George B.
• Application Number:
  US09/712,063
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 706/54, 706/1, 707/203
• US Class Current: 706/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Systems and methods are discussed that allow profile information to be reused by various versions of a program. One illustrative aspect includes a method for comparing versions of a program in binary format. The method includes finding equivalent contents in portions of two versions of the program, finding equivalent structure in the portions of the two versions, and forming a match when a portion of one of the two versions is an equivalence of a portion of the other of the two versions.

Claims

1. A system for reusing profile information of a program, comprising:

a comparator to define a match when a first value equals a second value;

a propagator to propagate profile information when a match is defined; and

a processing engine that processes a portion of a first version of the program to produce the first value and a portion of a second version of the program to produce the second value, wherein the processing engine uses a set of information at a desired fuzziness level to produce the first value and the second value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing engine includes an engine to produce values for procedures.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing engine includes an engine to produce values for portions of data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing engine includes an engine to produce values for portions of code within the procedures.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an annotator to annotate the strength of the match so as to enhance the propagation of profile information.

6. A method for comparing versions of a program in binary format, comprising:

finding equivalent contents in portions of two versions of the program;

finding equivalent structure in the portions of the two versions; and

forming a match when a portion one of the two versions is an equivalence to a portion of the other two versions, wherein the act of forming a match includes forming a match based on a fuzzy match for portions of the two versions that include small differences.

7. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method for comparing versions of a program in binary format, the method comprising:

finding equivalent contents in portions of two versions of the program;

finding equivalent structure in the portions of the two versions; and

forming a match when a portion of one of the two versions is an equivalence to a portion of the other two versions, wherein the act of forming a match includes forming a match based on a fuzzy match for portions of the two versions that include small differences.

8. A method for comparing versions of a program in binary format, comprising:

finding equivalent procedures in a first version and a second version;

finding equivalent portions of data in equivalent procedures; and

finding equivalent portions of code in equivalent procedures, wherein the act of finding equivalent portions of code includes finding equivalent portions of code based on a hash value, which is calculated from the instructions in the portions of code and the ordering of the instructions, wherein the act of finding equivalent portions of code based on a hash value includes iterating the act of finding with different levels of matching fuzziness so as to enhance the act of finding equivalent portions of code.