Methods, systems, and computer program products for instantiating a device driver for communication with a device by dynamically associating the device driver at run-time with a device-specific and/or service-specific software component

• US 7,574,713 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trendium, Inc (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Tabares, Modesto, Yamany, Sameh
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao; Diem K
• Application Number:
  US09/992,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,836 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/327, 713/1, 713/324, 348/222, 719/311, 719321-327, 710 8- 10
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for instantiating a device driver for communication with a device by dynamically associating the device driver at run-time with a device-specific software component. For example, in some embodiments, a device driver is instantiated by dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time. The first software component contains information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific type. In other embodiments, a device driver is instantiated by defining a plurality of device parameters and associating one or more of the plurality of device parameters with a service. The device parameters that are associated with the service are then dynamically communicated to the device driver at run-time.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of instantiating a device driver, comprising:

defining a plurality of device parameters;

declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;

associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;

instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;

instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;

communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver; and

dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time, the first software component containing information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific device type.

2. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein associating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters with the service comprises:

deriving the service-specific sub-class from the base class that defines the at least one of the plurality of device parameters that are associated with the service.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver comprises:

passing the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service from the service-specific sub-class object to the device driver.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

defining a plurality of service-specific device parameters;

associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters; and

communicating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters to the device driver.

5. A method as recited in claim 4,

wherein defining the plurality of service-specific device parameters comprises:

providing a second software component that comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters comprises:

dynamically loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein communicating the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters to the device driver comprises:

passing the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters from the parameter base class object to the device driver after loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein dynamically associating the first software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:

selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

generating the plurality of software components based on a plurality of management information base (MIB) files, respective ones of the plurality of MIB files being associated with respective ones of the plurality of device types.

11. A computer implemented method of collecting data from a device, comprising:

defining a plurality of device parameters;

declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;

associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;

instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;

instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;

communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to a device driver;

receiving a request to collect data from the device;

dynamically associating a software component with the device driver at run-time, the software component containing information that facilitates communication with the device; and

retrieving data associated with the at least one device parameter from the device using the device driver.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein dynamically associating the software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:

selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.

14. A system for instantiating a device driver, comprising:

means for defining a plurality of device parameters;

means for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;

means for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;

means for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;

means for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;

means for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver; and

means for dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time, the first software component containing information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific device type.

15. A system as recited in claim 14,

wherein the means for associating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters with the service comprises:

means for deriving the service-specific sub-class from the base class that defines the at least one of the plurality of device parameters that are associated with the service.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver comprises:

means for passing the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service from the service-specific sub-class object to the device driver.

17. A system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

means for defining a plurality of service-specific device parameters;

means for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters; and

means for communicating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters to the device driver.

18. A system as recited in claim 17,

wherein the means for defining the plurality of service-specific device parameters comprises:

means for providing a second software component that comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the means for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters comprises:

means for dynamically loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the means for communicating the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters to the device driver comprises:

means for passing the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters from the parameter base class object to the device driver after loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.

21. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

22. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the means for dynamically associating the first software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:

means for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

means for generating the plurality of software components based on a plurality of management information base (MIB) files, respective ones of the plurality of MIB files being associated with respective ones of the plurality of device types.

24. A system for collecting data from a device, comprising:

means for defining a plurality of device parameters;

means for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;

means for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;

means for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;

means for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;

means for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to a device driver;

means for receiving a request to collect data from the device;

means for dynamically associating a software component with the device driver at run-time, the software component containing information that facilitates communication with the device; and

means for retrieving data associated with the at least one device parameter from the device using the device driver.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the means for dynamically associating the software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:

means for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.

27. A computer program product for instantiating a device driver, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for defining a plurality of device parameters;

computer readable program code for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;

computer readable program code for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;

computer readable program code for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;

computer readable program code for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;

computer readable program code for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver; and

computer readable program code for dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time, the first software component containing information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific device type.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27,

wherein the computer readable program code for associating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters with the service comprises:

computer readable program code for deriving the service-specific sub-class from the base class that defines the at least one of the plurality of device parameters that are associated with the service.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer readable program code for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver comprises:

computer readable program code for passing the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service from the service-specific sub-class object to the device driver.

30. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code for defining a plurality of service-specific device parameters;

computer readable program code for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters; and

computer readable program code for communicating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters to the device driver.

31. A computer program product as recited in claim 30,

wherein the computer readable program code for defining the plurality of service-specific device parameters comprises:

computer readable program code for providing a second software component that comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the computer readable program code for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters comprises:

computer readable program code for dynamically loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.

33. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the computer readable program code for communicating the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters to the device driver comprises:

computer readable program code for passing the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters from the parameter base class object to the device driver after loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.

34. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

35. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the computer readable program code for dynamically associating the first software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:

computer readable program code for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.

36. A computer program product as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

computer readable program code for generating the plurality of software components based on a plurality of management information base (MIB) files, respective ones of the plurality of MIB files being associated with respective ones of the plurality of device types.

37. A computer program product for collecting data from a device, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for defining a plurality of device parameters;

computer readable program code for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;

computer readable program code for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;

computer readable program code for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;

computer readable program code for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;

computer readable program code for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to a device driver;

computer readable program code for receiving a request to collect data from the device;

computer readable program code for dynamically associating a software component with the device driver at run-time, the software component containing information that facilitates communication with the device; and

computer readable program code for retrieving data associated with the at least one device parameter from the device using the device driver.

38. A computer program product as recited in claim 37, wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.

39. A computer program product as recited in claim 37, wherein the computer readable program code for dynamically associating the software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:

computer readable program code for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.