Virtual endpoints

• US 7,418,006 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shaath, Hilal R., Damphier, Jeffrey E., Himelstein, Bradley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chou; Albert T
• Application Number:
  US11/075,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 370/386, 370/466, 703 13- 28, 709223-225
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

Disclosed is an architecture for automating testing tasks, which would otherwise have to be done manually using actual hardware, by providing the capability to dynamically create many types of networked computing devices with different network configurations, eliminating the need to have actual test machines physically networked. Virtual endpoints are virtual computing devices networked to virtual adapters on a real computer. The virtual endpoints architecture comprises a miniport driver, a filter engine, virtual networked computing devices, a virtual stack, and a user mode to kernel mode interface. The virtual endpoints architecture technology can be used to test bridge and Internet connection sharing features as well as for testing any NDIS driver or client/server application. The virtual endpoints architecture lowers the cost of testing and allows for the ability to run the aforementioned types of tests in a batch nodal stress suite and without the need for large test network topologies.

Claims

1. A method for simulating a networked device on a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a first interface, to manage a simulated network adapter, between the simulated network adapter and higher-level drivers;

creating, with the first interface, the simulated network adapter on the computer;

providing a second interface, to manage the simulated networked device, attached to the simulated network adapter, wherein the second interface facilitates communications between a user mode and a kernel mode;

creating, with the second interface, the simulated networked device; and

providing a filter engine and a virtual stack, wherein the virtual stack creates lower layer protocol information for sending packets from the simulated networked device and utilizes the filter engine to generate response packets when a packet is received by the simulated networked device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first interface is a miniport driver.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulated network adapter is a wired network adapter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulated network adapter is a wireless network adapter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulated networked device has a MAC address, an IP address, and a network configuration profile.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter engine filters out unwanted packets that would normally be indicated to user mode applications and recognizes special packets.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for simulating a networked device on a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a first interface, to manage a simulated network adapter, between the simulated network adapter and higher-level drivers;

creating, with the first interface, the simulated network adapter on the computer;

providing a second interface, to manage the simulated networked device, attached to the simulated network adapter, wherein the second interface facilitates communications between a user mode and a kernel mode;

creating, with the second interface, the simulated networked device; and

providing a filter engine and a virtual stack, wherein the virtual stack creates lower layer protocol information for sending packets from the simulated networked device and utilizes the filter engine to generate response packets when a packet is received by the simulated networked device.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the first interface is a miniport driver.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the simulated network adapter is a wired network adapter.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the simulated network adapter is a wireless network adapter.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the simulated networked device has a MAC address, an IP address, and a network configuration profile.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the filter engine filters out unwanted packets that would normally be indicated to user mode applications and recognizes special packets.

13. A system configured to simulate a networked device, comprising, a network communications module, wherein the network communications module:

provides a first interface, to manage a simulated network adapter, between the simulated network adapter and higher-level drivers;

creates, with the first interface, the simulated network adapter on the system;

provides a second interface, to manage the simulated networked device, attached to the simulated network adapter, wherein the second interface facilitates communications between a user mode and a kernel mode;

creates, with the second interface, the simulated networked device; and

provides a filter engine and a virtual stack, wherein the virtual stack creates lower layer protocol information for sending packets from the simulated networked device and utilizes the filter engine to generate response packets when a packet is received by the simulated networked device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first interface is a miniport driver.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the simulated network adapter is a wired network adapter.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the simulated network adapter is a wireless network adapter.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the simulated networked device has a MAC address, an IP address, and a network configuration profile.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the filter engine filters out unwanted packets that would normally be indicated to user mode applications and recognizes special packets.