Application program interface call replay tool

• US 7,380,235 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fathalla, Diaa
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US10/607,593
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 717104-107, 717112-113, 717137-147, 717/160, 717/109, 717/124, 717/114, 717/158, 707/1, 707/103.R, 707/2, 707/10, 709/227, 709/250, 709200-223, 715/738, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

An application program interface (API) replay tool and method is disclosed for modeling and testing APIs. The replay tool receives as input a set of API calls and associated context information and resources. A set of components are called to map variables and a context into the replay tool environment. An API builder translates the original API call (including mapping memory references of parameters) into a sequence of assembly code instructions, constituting the replayed API call, which is placed in an execution buffer. The execution buffer is thereafter executed in a replay environment including a set of resources extracted from a source binary file associated with the replayed API. Thereafter, the operating system, or other suitable consumer of API calls, executes the call in the context recreated by the API replay tool prior to passing the call.

Claims

1. A computing device containing a software tool for submitting API calls corresponding to logged API calls to various components of the computing device, the software tool comprising:

symbol tables for mapping symbols, parameters and memory references collected from a log of API calls to corresponding memory references allocated to the software tool, wherein the mapped symbols, parameters and memory references are used for submitting subsequent API calls corresponding to the logged API calls from within the memory space of the software tool to the various components of the computer device, and wherein the log of API calls records API calls that have been previously invoked in an execution environment of the software tool;

an API call builder for creating an API call code sequence for submitting subsequent API calls corresponding to logged API calls to the various components of the computing device according to the mapped memory references within a symbol table; and

an execution template corresponding to binary files associated with the logged API calls for maintaining a set of resources from the binary files, wherein the execution template is utilized by an API call executor so that the API call sequence created by the API call builder is executed within the execution environment of the software tool.

2. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory manager that maintains memory space allocated to the software tool to simulate processes and threads associated with particular execution contexts for the logged API calls.

3. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 2 further comprising:

a thread handler for establishing a thread memory structure for allocating memory and resources of the computing device, by the memory manager, that corresponds to each thread identified in the logged API calls.

4. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 1 wherein an API call executer issues the code sequence within the execution environment, including the set of resources established by the execution template.

5. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 1 further comprising a replay engine for coordinating the operation of a set of handlers within the software tool to render the subsequent API calls to appropriate components of the computing device within a context defined by the software tool.

6. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 5 wherein the set of handlers includes a callback handler for providing a callback destination for a callback function associated with the logged API.

7. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 1 wherein the memory references comprise pointers.

8. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 1 wherein the memory references comprise variables.

9. The computing device containing the software tool of claim 1 wherein the code sequence comprises assembly code instructions.

10. A method using a software tool for invoking API calls within an execution environment based on logged API calls, the method comprising:

mapping symbols, parameters and memory references in at least one symbol table to corresponding memory references allocated to the software tool, wherein the mapped symbols, parameters and memory references in the at least one symbol table are collected from a log of API calls and are used for invoking subsequent API calls based on the logged API calls from within the memory space of the software tool, and wherein the log of API calls records API calls that have been previously invoked in the execution environment of the software tool; and

creating an API call code sequence for invoking the subsequent API calls based on the logged API calls, wherein the mapped memory references are specified for invoking the subsequent API calls; and

maintaining, by an execution template corresponding to binary files associated with the logged API calls, a set of resources from the binary files, wherein the execution template is utilized by an API call executor so that the created API call sequence is executed within the execution environment of the software tool.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

maintaining, by a memory manager, memory space allocated to the software tool for simulating processes and threads associated with particular execution contexts for the logged API calls.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

establishing, by the memory manager, a thread memory structure for allocating memory and resources corresponding to each thread identified in the logged API calls.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

issuing, by an API call executer, the API call code sequence within the execution environment, including the set of resources established by the execution template.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the memory references comprise pointers.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the memory references comprise variables.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the API call code sequence comprises assembly code instructions.

17. A computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions for invoking API calls within an execution environment of a software tool based on logged API calls to various components of a computing device, the computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:

mapping symbols, parameters and memory references in at least one symbol table to corresponding memory references allocated to the software tool, wherein the mapped symbols, parameters and memory references in the at least one symbol table are collected from a log of API calls and are used for invoking subsequent API calls based on the logged API calls from within the memory space of the software tool, and wherein the log of API calls records API calls that have been previously invoked in the execution environment of the software tool; and

creating an API call code sequence for invoking the subsequent API calls based on the logged API calls, wherein the mapped memory references are specified for invoking the subsequent API calls; and

maintaining, by an execution template corresponding to binary files associated with the logged API calls, a set of resources from the binary files, wherein the execution template is utilized by an API call executor so that the created API call sequence is executed within the execution environment of the software tool.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:

maintaining, by a memory manager, memory space allocated to the software tool for simulating processes and threads associated with particular execution contexts for the logged API calls.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 further comprising computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:

establishing, by the memory manager, a thread memory structure for allocating memory and resources corresponding to each thread identified in the logged API calls.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:

issuing, by an API call executer, the API call code sequence within the execution environment, including the set of resources established by the execution template.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the memory references comprise pointers.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the memory references comprise variables.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the code sequence comprises assembly code instructions.