Tools and techniques for instrumenting interfaces of units of a software program

• US 7,039,919 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hunt, Galen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARESH N
• Application Number:
  US09/196,836
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/312, 719/316, 719/313, 719/314, 719/315, 719/317, 719/318, 719/332, 719/328, 719/331, 709201-203, 709217-224, 709/200, 718/107, 718/108, 718/105, 718/100, 717/101, 717/148
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5066 Algorithms for mapping a plurality of inter-dependent sub-tasks onto a plurality of physical CPUs mappping at compile time, see G06F8/451
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An automatic distributed partitioning system (ADPS) determines which unit exposes an interface. The ADPS detects a reference to an interface. For the interface, the ADPS assures that the unit that exposes the interface is identified. In some embodiments, a data structure such as a hash table associates interfaces with identified units. An interface wrapper for the interface stores the identity of the unit that exposes the interface, as well as information about the interface and a reference to instrumentation. When a client unit calls a member function of an interface, the interface wrapper intercepts the call and invokes the instrumentation. The instrumentation performs an operation such as profiling the application or classifying a unit. The ADPS detects when an interface is undocumented, and handles undocumented interfaces without invoking the full instrumentation capabilities of the ADPS.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer system programmed thereby to perform a method comprising:

detecting a reference to an interface, wherein a software program comprises plural units, and wherein one of the plural units exposes the interface;

determining if the interface has been wrapped by checking a data structure that tracks interface wrapping for the plural units of the software program by determining if there is an existing entry for the interface in the data structure;

if the interface has been wrapped, returning a reference to the existing entry for the interface from the data structure, wherein the existing entry is a reference to an existing interface wrapper related to the interface which associates the interface with a unit identity for the unit that exposes the interface, wherein the existing interface wrapper stores a reference to instrumentation, the reference to the interface, and the unit identity of the unit that exposes the interface;

if the interface has not been wrapped,

discovering the unit identity of the unit that exposes the interface;

adding a new entry to the data structure, wherein the new entry is a reference to a new interface wrapper related to the interface which associates the interface with the discovered unit identity; and

returning a reference to the new entry.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

noting one or more return parameters from a called function; and

parsing the one or more return parameters to detect the reference to the interface.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the called function is a unit creation function.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

noting one or more outgoing parameters to a called function; and

parsing the one or more outgoing parameters to detect the reference to the interface.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises a hash table, and wherein the step of determining comprises:

hashing the detected reference.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises a hash table, and wherein the step of adding the new entry comprises:

creating the new entry in the hash table.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises a hash table for associating interfaces with interface wrappers, wherein the existing entry is for the existing interface wrapper for the interface in the hash table, and wherein the step of determining comprises:

hashing the detected reference.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises a hash table for associating interfaces with interface wrappers.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein a local variable stores data comprising the unit identity of the unit that exposes the interface, and wherein the step of discovering the unit identity comprises noting the value stored in the local variable.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein an instrumentation system provides the unit identity of the unit that exposes the interface.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

if the interface has been % rapped, verifying the unit identity of the unit that exposes the interface.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a communication passing through the interface;

measuring the size of the communication;

determining the unit identity of the unit that exposes the interface from the returned reference to the existing or new entry of the data structure; and

associating the measured size with the unit that exposes the interface.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from a client unit a call to a unit activation function for a unit to be activated among the plural units;

determining a unit identity of the client unit from the data structure;

classifying the unit to be activated based upon the unit identity of the client unit, resulting in a classifier;

determining a location in a distributed computing environment using the classifier; and

routing the call to the location.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the computer-executable instructions are for automatic distributed partitioning system software.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the reference to the interface is a pointer to the interface.

14. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer system programmed thereby to perform a method comprising:

detecting a reference to an interface, wherein one of plural components of software exposes the interface;

determining if the interface is wrapped using a hash table, wherein if the interface is wrapped, a reference to an existing interface wrapper related to the interface is stored in the hash table, and wherein the existing interface wrapper stores a reference to instrumentation, the reference to the interface, and component identity of the component that exposes the interface;

if the interface is wrapped, providing to a client component the reference to the existing interface wrapper;

if the interface is not wrapped,

creating a new interface wrapper for the interface, wherein the new interface wrapper stores the reference to the instrumentation and the reference to the interface;

creating a new entry in the hash table, wherein the new entry relates the interface with the created new interface wrapper;

discovering the component identity of the component that exposes the interface;

storing in the new interface wrapper the component identity of the component that exposes the interface; and

providing to the client component a reference to the new interface wrapper; and

receiving from the client component an invocation of the instrumentation through the provided reference to the existing or new interface wrapper.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the step of determining if the interface is wrapped comprises:

hashing the detected reference;

if the detected reference hashes to the existing interface wrapper, returning the reference to the existing interface wrapper; and

otherwise, returning a value that indicates the interface is not wrapped.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the reference to instrumentation comprises a pointer to a table comprising at least one pointer to one or more instrumentation functions.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the step of creating the new interface wrapper further comprises storing in the new interface wrapper a type description of the interface.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein a local variable stores the component identity of the component that exposes the interface, and wherein the step of discovering the component identity of the component that exposes the interface comprises noting the value stored in the local variable.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the invocation comprises a communication from the client component directed towards the component that exposes the interface, the method further comprising:

measuring the size of the communication using the instrumentation;

associating the measured size with the component that exposes the interface and the client component; and

calling the component that exposes the interface.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer-executable instructions are for automatic distributed partitioning system software.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the reference to the interface is a pointer to the interface.