Nondestructive patching mechanism

• US 7,984,434 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Gathoo, Yogesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr.; Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, JUE S
• Application Number:
  US10/443,661
• Time in Patent Office: 2,981 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms are provided for patching software, such as software for implementing parameterizable processor cores and peripherals on a programmable chip. Software components constructed using various shared modules can be updated without affecting other components using the same shared modules. In one example, a software component includes a manifest for identifying the implementations that should be associated with the various modules. When a patched implementation is provided for a particular module, the component manifest is changed to associate the patched implementation with the component. The pre-patch implementation is preserved so that other components using the pre-patch implementation may be kept unchanged.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of parameters for customization of a plurality of hardware components for implementation on a programmable chip, wherein the plurality of parameters is received using an application environment configured to load an application environment manifest, wherein the application environment comprises a plurality of software components associated with a pre-patched module;

generating a logic description including a reference to the plurality of hardware components, the plurality of hardware components including a processor core and a peripheral; and

applying a software component specific patch to the pre-patched module to create a patched module, wherein each software component of the plurality of software components includes a patch manifest and a pre-patch manifest, the patch manifest mapping modules with patched implementations and the pre-patch manifest mapping modules with pre-patch implementations;

using version information to determine whether a software component should use a pre-patched module by only reading a pre-patch manifest or use a patched module by reading both a pre-patch manifest and a patch manifest, the patch manifest overriding an aspect of the pre-patch manifest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hardware components includes a timer a digital signal processing (DSP) core, or a HyperTransport core.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-patched module is used to generate a netlist.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein customization of the plurality of hardware components comprises paramaterization of the plurality of components.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein parameterization of the plurality of hardware components includes determining tradeoffs between speed, efficiency, and conservation of logic elements on the programmable chip.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein parameterization of hardware components includes setting a bus width, a number of registers, or a speed of a shifter.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein parameterization of hardware components includes determining processor core architecture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a pre-patch implementation is an original implementation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-patched module is a symbol module operable to provide netlist information for one of the plurality of hardware components component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the patch manifest is read by the application environment after the pre-patch manifest is read.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein associations provided by the pre-patch manifest are overridden by associations provided in the patch manifest.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-patch manifest is associated with the application environment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the patch manifest is associated with a software component.

14. A system, comprising:

memory configured to maintain an application environment configured to receive a plurality of parameters for customization of a plurality of hardware components for implementation on a programmable chip, wherein the application environment is configured to load an application environment manifest, wherein the application environment comprises a plurality of software components associated with a pre-patched module; and

a central processing unit configured to generate a logic description including a reference to the plurality of hardware components, the plurality of hardware components including a processor core and a peripheral;

wherein a software component specific patch is applied to the pre-patched module to create a patched module, wherein each software component of the plurality of software components includes a patch manifest and a pre-patch manifest, the patch manifest mapping modules with patched implementations and the pre-patch manifest mapping modules with pre-patch implementations, and wherein version information is used to determine whether a software component should use a pre-patched module by only reading a pre-patch manifest or use a patched module by reading both a pre-patch manifest and a patch manifest, the patch manifest overriding an aspect of the pre-patch manifest.

15. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of parameters for customization of a plurality of hardware components for implementation on a programmable chip, wherein the plurality of parameters are received using an application environment configured to load an application environment manifest, wherein the application environment comprises a plurality of software components associated with a pre-patched module;

generating a logic description including a reference to the plurality of hardware components, the plurality of hardware components including a processor core and a peripheral;

applying a software component specific patch to the pre-patched module to create a patched module, wherein each of the plurality of software components includes a patch manifest and a pre-patch manifest, the patch manifest mapping shared modules with patched implementations and the pre-patch manifest mapping shared modules with pre-patch implementations;

using version information to determine whether a software component should use a pre-patched module by only reading a pre-patch manifest or use a patched module by reading both a pre-patch manifest and a patch manifest, the patch manifest overriding an aspect of the pre-patch manifest.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of hardware components includes a timer or a HyperTransport core.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the pre-patched module is used to generate a netlist.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of parameters for customization of a plurality of hardware components for implementation on a programmable chip, wherein the plurality of parameters are received using an application environment configured to load an application environment manifest, wherein the application environment comprises a plurality of software components associated with a pre-patched module;

means for generating a logic description including a reference to the plurality of hardware components, the plurality of hardware components including a processor core and a peripheral;

means for applying a software component specific patch to the pre-patched module to create a patched module, wherein each of the plurality of software components includes a patch manifest and a pre-patch manifest, the patch manifest mapping shared modules with patched implementations and the pre-patch manifest mapping shared modules with pre-patch implementations;

means for using version information to determine whether a software component should use a pre-patched module by only reading a pre-patch manifest or use a patched module by reading both a pre-patch manifest and a patch manifest, the patch manifest overriding an aspect of the pre-patch manifest.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of hardware components includes a timer or a peripheral components interface (PCI) core.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the patched module is used to generate a netlist.