Views for software atomization

• US 7,281,017 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCSK Corp. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumisho Computer Systems Corporation (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Hostetter, Mathew J., Harrison, Benjamin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, ISAAC M
• Application Number:
  US10/178,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-1041, 717136-161
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Views for software atomization provide runtime transformations of existing atoms in atom databases to create new or virtual atom databases. Views provide for sharing of code and data atoms that are stored in an atom database, as well as providing sharing of code and data atoms that are loaded into memory. A view is a set of transformation operations, including insert a new atom, modify an existing atom, or delete an existing atom, which can be applied to an atom database. The transformation operations can be applied, either literally, to create a new atom database on disk, or virtually, to create, at runtime, a virtual atom database, without actually having to create an actual atom database on disk. Modifying an existing atom can be done in a variety of ways, including changing the atom bytes, or the atom references, or an attribute of the atom.

Claims

1. A method of creating a view of a first atom database, comprising:

associating the view and the first atom database with a first executable program and a second executable program;

defining a set of transformation operations;

applying the set of transform operations to the first atom database, wherein the first atom database stores atoms;

determining whether the transform operations are applied virtually or literally;

if the transformation operations are applied literally, creating a new atom database, wherein the new atom database stores atoms;

if the transformation operations are applied virtually, transforming the first atom database at runtime using the view to create a virtual atom database; and

loading, by the first executable program and the second executable program, an atom from the virtual atom database, wherein the atom is shared by the first executable program and the second executable program,

wherein each of the atoms includes a permanently assigned atom identifier, computer code and/or data, and references to other atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the new atom database is stored in a separate file from the first atom database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the new atom database replaces the first atom database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transformation operations comprise:

an insert operation to insert a new atom.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transformation operations comprise:

a modify operation to modify an existing atom.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transformation operations comprise:

a delete operation to delete an existing atom.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the atom is loaded into a first memory buffer accessible by the first executable program and the atom is loaded into a second memory buffer accessible by the second executable program.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the atom is loaded into a memory buffer accessible by both the first executable program and the second executable program.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the transform operations are defined based on an optimization feature of a computer hardware and/or software system on which the atoms will execute.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transform operations are defined in order to limit access to certain features provided by the atoms.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the atoms further comprise an atom characteristic and the atom transform operations change the atom characteristic.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of transformation operations comprise only modify operations that replace a first atom with a second atom, such that a mapping table is created.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of transform operations is applied to a virtual atom database.

14. The A method of creating views of a first atom database, comprising:

associating a first view and the first atom database with a first executable programs, and a second view and the first atom database with a second executable program;

defining a set of transformation operations;

applying the set of transform operations to the first atom database, wherein the first atom database stores atoms;

determining whether the transform operations are applied virtually or literally;

if the transformation operations are applied literally, creating a new atom database, wherein the new atom database stores atoms;

if the transformation operations are applied virtually. transforming the first atom database at runtime using the first view to create a first virtual atom database and the second view to create a second virtual atom database; and

loading, by the first executable program using the first view and the second executable program using the second view, an atom from the first atom database, wherein the atom is shared by the first executable program and the second executable program,

wherein each of the atoms includes a permanently assigned atom identifier, computer code and/or data, and references to other atoms.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the atom is loaded into a first memory buffer accessible by the first executable program using the first view and the atom is loaded into a second memory buffer accessible by the second executable program using the second view.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the atom is loaded into a memory buffer accessible by both the first executable program using the first view and the second executable program using the second view.

17. An apparatus for creating a view of a first atom database, comprising:

a set of transformation operations; and

a processor for;

associating the view and the first atom database with a first executable program and a second executable program;

defining a set of transformation operations;

applying the set of transform operations to the first atom database, wherein the first atom database stores atoms;

determining whether the transform operations are applied virtually or literally;

if the transformation operations are applied literally, creating a new atom database, wherein the new atom database stores atoms;

if the transformation operations are applied virtually, transforming the first atom database at runtime using the view to create a virtual atom database; and

loading, by the first executable program and the second executable program, an atom from the virtual atom database, wherein the atom is shared by the first executable program and the second executable program,

wherein each of the atoms includes a permanently assigned atom identifier, computer code and/or data, and references to other atoms.

18. An apparatus for creating a view of a first atom database, comprising:

a means for associating the view and the first atom database with a first executable program and a second executable program;

a means for defining a set of transformation operations;

a means for applying the set of transform operations to the first atom database, wherein the first atom database stores atoms;

a means for determining whether the transform operations are applied virtually or literally;

a means for creating a new atom database based on a determination that the transformation operations are applied literally, wherein the new atom database stores atoms;

a means for transforming the first atom database at runtime using the view to create a virtual atom database based on a determination that the transformation operations are applied virtually; and

a means for loading, by the first executable program and the second executable program, an atom from the virtual atom database, wherein the atom is shared by the first executable program and the second executable program.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium for creating a view of a first atom database;

a set of computer program instructions embodied on the computer usable medium, including instructions to;

associating the view and the first atom database with a first executable program and a second executable program;

defining a set of transformation operations;

applying the set of transform operations to the first atom database, wherein the first atom database stores atoms;

determining whether the transform operations are applied virtually or literally;

if the transformation operations are applied literally, creating a new atom database, wherein the new atom database stores atoms;

if the transformation operations are applied virtually, transforming the first atom database at runtime using the view to create a virtual atom database; and

loading, by the first executable program and the second executable program, an atom from the virtual atom database, wherein the atom is shared by the first executable program and the second executable program,

wherein each of the atoms includes a permanently assigned atom identifier, computer code and/or data, and references to other atoms.