System and method for building a database defining a plurality of communication interfaces

• US 7,359,911 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: S2 Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: S2 Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Underseth, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US10/104,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 707/8, 707/104.1, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/103.X, 711/170, 717/7, 717/149, 709/224, 709/233, 714/38, 714/35, 714/28, 718/104, 703/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/546 Xcast
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/547 Messaging middleware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for providing seamless communication with threads executing on an embedded computer. Using a DAT system, a programmer can test the communication interfaces of a thread via either a scripting program, any COM-compliant program, or a graphical test utility. The DAT system automatically formats a block of data that is transmitted between the embedded computer and a host computer and accounts for machine specific enumeration sizes, machine specific pointer sizes, machine specific structure alignment boundaries, machine specific integer sizes, and machine specific byte ordering.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of building a database comprising:

reading an interface description file that defines at least one communication interface of an application thread that is configured to be executed on an embedded computer;

extracting communication information about the communication interface, wherein extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises;

reading a unique identifier that is associated with the communication interface,

determining a size of a communication that is transmitted via the communication interface,

determining a name of each of the data fields in the communication interface, and

identifying pointer data that is associated with the communication interface,

storing the extracted communication information in a communication database;

storing at least one machine characteristic of the embedded computer in the communication database, wherein the machine characteristic of the embedded computer is selected from the group comprising;

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering;

storing at least one machine characteristic of a host computer in the communication database, wherein the machine characteristic of the host computer is selected from the group comprising;

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering; and

displaying a graphical user interface on the host computer that allows a developer to provide test data and to request transmission of the provided test data to selected ones of the communication interfaces of the embedded computer.

2. A computer-implemented method of building a database comprising:

reading an interface description file that defines at least one communication interface of a routine that is configured to be executed on an embedded computer;

extracting communication information about the communication interface from the interface description file;

storing the extracted communication information in a communication database;

storing at least one machine characteristic of the embedded computer in the communication database;

storing at least one machine characteristic of a host computer in the communication database; and

displaying a graphical user interface on the host computer that allows a developer to provide test data and to request transmission of the provided test data to selected ones of the communication interfaces of the embedded computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises reading a name of the communication interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein extracting communication information about the communication interface comprises reading a unique identifier that is associated with the communication interface.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises determining a size of a communication that is transmitted via the communication interface.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises determining a name of each of the data fields in a communication that is transmitted via the communication interface.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the machine characteristic of the embedded computer is selected from the group comprising:

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the machine characteristic of the host computer is selected from the group comprising:

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering.

9. A computer-implemented system for building a database comprising:

means for reading an interface description file that defines at least one communication interface of an application thread that is configured to be executed on an embedded computer;

means for extracting communication information about the communication interface, wherein means for extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises;

means for reading a unique identifier that is associated with the communication interface,

means for determining a size of a communication that is transmitted via the communication interface, and

means for determining a name of each of the data fields in the communication;

means for storing the extracted communication information in a memory of a communication database;

means for storing at least one machine characteristic of the embedded computer in the communication database, wherein the machine characteristic of the embedded computer is selected from the group comprising;

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering;

means for storing at least one machine characteristic of a host computer in the communication database, wherein the machine characteristic of the host computer is selected from the group comprising;

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering; and

means for displaying a graphical user interface on the host computer that allows a developer to provide test data and to request transmission of the provided test data to selected ones of the communication interfaces of the embedded computer.

10. A computer-implemented system for building a database comprising

means for reading an interface description file that defines at least one communication interface of a routine that is configured to execute on an embedded computer;

means for extracting communication information about the communication interface;

means for storing the extracted communication information in a communication database;

means for storing at least one machine characteristic of the embedded computer in the communication database;

means for storing at least one machine characteristic of a host computer in a memory of the communication database; and

means for displaying a graphical user interface on the host computer that allows a developer to provide test data and to request transmission of the provided test data to selected ones of the communication interfaces of the embedded computer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises means for reading a name of the communication.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises means for reading a unique identifier that is associated with the communication.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises means for determining a size of the communication.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for extracting communication information from the communication interface comprises means for determining a name of each of the data fields in the communication.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the machine characteristic of the embedded computer is selected from the group comprising:

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the machine characteristic of the host computer is selected from the group comprising:

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering.

17. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a memory of a database, comprising;

means for extracting interface information describing at least one characteristic of a communication interface of an application thread that is configured to execute on an embedded computer, wherein the means for extracting interface information comprises;

means for reading a unique identifier that is associated with the communication interface,

means for determining a size of a communication that is transmitted via the communication interface,

means for determining a name of each of the data fields in the communication, and

identifying pointer data that is associated with the communication interface;

host computer information that describes at least one characteristic of a host computer, wherein the host computer information is selected from the group comprising;

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering; and

embedded computer machine information that describes at least one characteristic of the embedded computer, wherein the embedded computer machine information is selected from the group comprising;

an enumeration size, a pointer size, a structure alignment boundary, an integer size, and a byte ordering; and

a module providing a user interface for testing the communication interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface that allows a user to send data via the communication interface.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes an interface that allows a user to view data that is received via the communication interface.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface that allows a user to view all of the communication interfaces that are stored in the database.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface that allows a user to view a communication format of the communication interface.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface that allows a user to view an identifier that is associated with the communication interface.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes an interface for simulating the communication interface.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface for associating data with the communication interface.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes an interface for logging tracing information to a file.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes an interface for measuring a difference in time between two selected interfaces are invoked.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes an interface for communicating with a script.