System and method for recovering from a software processing error

• US 7,502,962 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scian, Anthony F., Wilson, Sean E., Lankford, Gerald Winton Jr., Yach, David P., Dahms, John F. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo; Bryce P
• Application Number:
  US11/085,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 714/21, 714/23
• US Class Current: 714/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0742 in a data processing system embedded in a mobile device, e.g. mobile phones, handheld devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

Systems and methods for recovering from software processing errors are provided. The systems and methods provide for the validation of data following the occurrence of a software processing error.

Claims

1. A method for recovering from a software processing error, comprising the steps of

receiving an indication that a software processing error has occurred;

responsive to the indication, determining if data contents of a data storage unit are valid; and

if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid, using the data contents in at least one subsequent operation,

if the data contents of the data storage unit are not valid, performing a full system reset;

checking operation of a virtual machine operating on a wireless mobile communications device; and

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon the virtual machine checking.

2. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, where the software processing error occurs on a cellular telephone.

3. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, where the software processing error occurs on a personal data assistant.

4. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, where the software processing error occurs on a wireless mobile communications device.

5. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, wherein the indication that a software processing error has occurred is a signal initiated by hardware.

6. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, wherein the indication that a software processing error has occurred is a signal initiated by software.

7. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, wherein determining if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid comprises performing a data structure check on data in one or more memory locations.

8. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, wherein the data contents include static structures and dynamic objects.

9. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking whether the virtual machine was idle;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon the virtual machine idle check.

10. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking whether memory location information is valid based upon data related to heap memory location;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon the memory location check.

11. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking a thread free list of the virtual machine;

wherein the thread free list is a list of threads of the virtual machine that were not in use at about the time the error indication was detected;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon checking the free list.

12. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a block of memory associated with the virtual machine;

simulating an attempt to move the selected block;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon whether the simulated move was successful.

13. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, wherein the data storage unit comprises a volatile memory device.

14. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a reset indicator if the data contents of the data storage unit are not valid.

15. A computer-readable medium including instructions capable of causing a mobile device to perform the method of claim 1.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid, performing a fast system reset.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fast system reset comprises creating a log entry for the fast reset process.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the fast system reset comprises determining if a previous fast system reset occurred, and performing a full system reset if the previous fast system reset occurred.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the fast system reset comprises informing processes that an event will not occur.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the fast system reset comprises updating flash memory handle information of a virtual machine using information obtained from an operating system.

21. A system that provides for the recovery from a software processing error, comprising:

an error state monitor configured to detect the presence of an error state indication;

an initialization module configured to send a reset signal; and

a validation module configured to receive a reset signal sent by the initialization module;

wherein the validation module accesses information relating to a state of data stored in a data storage unit and provides a result of the operation of the validation module to the initialization module;

wherein the initialization module determines whether to perform a full system reset based on the result of the operation of the validation module;

wherein operation of a virtual machine operating on a wireless mobile communications device is checked; and

wherein a determination is made whether to perform a full reset based upon the virtual machine checking.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the error state monitor is included in a wireless mobile communications device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the error state monitor is included in a personal data assistant or a cellular telephone.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the error state monitor is a timer implemented in hardware.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the error state monitor is a timer implemented in software.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the information relating to the state of data comprises locations in a storage unit.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the result comprises an indication that the data stored in the data storage unit has been successfully validated.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the result comprises an indication that the data stored in the data storage unit has not been successfully validated.

29. A wireless mobile communications device that provides for the recovery from a software processing error, comprising:

means for receiving an indication that a software processing error has occurred;

means for determining whether data contents of a data storage unit are valid responsive to the indication;

means for using the data contents of the data storage unit in subsequent operations if the data contents are valid;

means for performing a full system reset if the data contents are not valid;

means for checking operation of a virtual machine operating on the wireless mobile communications device; and

means for determining whether to perform a full reset based upon the virtual machine checking.

30. A method for recovering from a software processing error, comprising the steps of

receiving an indication that a software processing error has occurred;

responsive to the indication, determining if data contents of a data storage unit are valid;

if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid, using the data contents in at least one subsequent operation,

if the data contents of the data storage unit are not valid, performing a full system reset, and

if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid, performing a fast system reset.

31. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, where the software processing error occurs on a cellular telephone.

32. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, where the software processing error occurs on a personal data assistant.

33. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, where the software processing error occurs on a wireless mobile communications device.

34. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, wherein the indication that a software processing error has occurred is a signal initiated by hardware.

35. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, wherein the indication that a software processing error has occurred is a signal initiated by software.

36. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, wherein determining if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid comprises performing a data structure check on data in one or more memory locations.

37. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30 wherein the data contents include static structures and dynamic objects.

38. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

checking whether the virtual machine was idle;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon the virtual machine idle check.

39. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

checking whether memory location information is valid based upon data related to heap memory location;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon the memory location check.

40. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

checking a thread free list of the virtual machine;

wherein the thread free list is a list of threads of the virtual machine that were not in use at about the time the error indication was detected;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon checking the free list.

41. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a block of memory associated with the virtual machine;

simulating an attempt to move the selected block;

determining whether to perform a full reset based upon whether the simulated move was successful.

42. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, wherein the data storage unit comprises a volatile memory device.

43. The method for recovering from a software processing error of claim 30, further comprising the step of creating a reset indicator if the data contents of the data storage unit are not valid.

44. A computer-readable medium including instructions capable of causing a mobile device to perform the method of claim 30.

45. The method of claim 30, wherein the fast system reset comprises creating a log entry for the fast reset process.

46. The method of claim 30, wherein the fast system reset comprises determining if a previous fast system reset occurred, and performing a full system reset if the previous fast system reset occurred.

47. The method of claim 30, wherein the fast system reset comprises informing processes that an event will not occur.

48. The method of claim 30, wherein the fast system reset comprises updating flash memory handle information of a virtual machine using information obtained from an operating system.

49. A system that provides for the recovery from a software processing error, comprising:

an error state monitor configured to detect the presence of an error state indication;

an initialization module configured to send a reset signal; and

a validation module configured to receive a reset signal sent by the initialization module;

wherein the validation module accesses information relating to a state of data stored in a data storage unit and provides a result of the operation of the validation module to the initialization module;

wherein the initialization module determines whether to perform a full system reset based on the result of the operation of the validation module; and

wherein if the data contents of the data storage unit are valid, a fast system reset is performed.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the error state monitor is included in a wireless mobile communications device.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the error state monitor is included in a personal data assistant or a cellular telephone.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the error state monitor is a timer implemented in hardware.

53. The system of claim 49, wherein the error state monitor is a timer implemented in software.

54. The system of claim 49, wherein the information relating to the state of data comprises locations in a storage unit.

55. The system of claim 49, wherein the result comprises an indication that the data stored in the data storage unit has been successfully validated.

56. The system of claim 49, wherein the result comprises an indication that the data stored in the data storage unit has not been successfully validated.