System and method for controlling installed third party software components

• US 8,843,921 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtuozzo International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Parallels Holdings Limited (HNA Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Protassov, Stanislav S., Tormasov, Alexander G., Beloussov, Serguei M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/740,324
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124, 717/162, 717/170, 717/174, 717/111, 717/168, 717175-178, 709220-223, 709/217, 709/232, 709/226, 709/229, 711/1, 711/601, 714/36, 710/68, 719/331, 463/43
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method of controlling operation of an installed component includes generating auxiliary information relating to the installed component in user space; launching a control program in operating system space for controlling operation of the installed component; and controlling, from the operating system space, the operation of the installed component using the auxiliary information. The installed component can be an operating system component running in a Virtual Private Server, or a component of third party software. The auxiliary information can be, e.g., time stamps, CRC, access control information, function names, function address offsets and function parameter passing information derived from the debug file. The controlling step can patch the installed component. The patch can be version-specific to the installed component. The controlling step can monitor behavior of the installed component. The auxiliary information can be generated based on a debug file/pdb file.

Claims

1. A method for finalizing installation of a server component, the method comprising:

compiling a version of execution environment-independent data set for the server component;

packing the data set into a container;

installing the data set for the server component from the container into an execution environment on a computer, the computer having a version-specific operating system managing a process virtual address space;

installing a control program to monitor the installed component and configuration of the execution environment;

receiving, from a remote source, the data set and auxiliary information that includes at least one identifier and at least one descriptor that are related to the installed server component;

using the control program and the auxiliary information, when the installed server component is activated, to map a correspondence between the process virtual address space and executable code memory, including offset address information of procedures integrated with the installed server component, the correspondence providing information required for executing the procedures integrated with the installed server component, the auxiliary information being mapped including identifier of the procedures and offset address information respective to memory allocation of the procedures;

using the mapped correspondence to enable operation of the activated installed server component for subsequent operation;

wherein the identifier uses a number, a checksum or a name of a file or a procedure of the installed server component,

wherein the descriptor is related to functioning of the installed server component in the execution environment, and describes any of;

the memory allocation, allocation of files of the installed server component in a directory structure, and file structure of the installed server component, and

wherein the container includes metadata corresponding to the descriptor, the metadata including vendor-specific information and target environment specific information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the address space is a virtual address space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes any of:

information about a vendor;

information about categories;

information about packagers;

list of available target architectures;

list of available target platforms;

list of available target OS'"'"'es;

list of available package types;

information about package bits expression;

information about Application tags;

vendor index;

information about Application Version;

application version index;

information about a package resources;

information about package metadata;

information about package bits;

information about a package certificate;

information about package icons; and

information about package screenshots.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises generating auxiliary information relating to the installed component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises a directory descriptor in which the installed component is contained.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises configuration files for installation of the installed component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the installed component is a component of an operating system running inside a Virtual Private Server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes any of time stamps, CRC, access control information and function names.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptor includes any of an access control list, a function address offset and a function parameter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptor is derived from a debug file of the installed component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information is version-specific to the installed component.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising relocation of the installed component.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating offset address information for functions in object code of the installed component.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising intercepting, in the control software, input/output operations of the installed component using the auxiliary information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the container is a virtual container.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein register and install file contacts are analyzed and an analogous system is recreated on a Virtual Private Server.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein configuration data used by the control program is generated during the installation of a physical server with a corresponding hardware configuration.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes file metadata that is added to those files that previously did not have the file metadata.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the control software uses the auxiliary information to replace at least some files with links to the files.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein, when a version of the installed component is incompatible with a current version of the operating system, the control software requests, over a network, the auxiliary information.

21. A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer-useable storage medium storing code for implementing the steps of claim 1.

22. A system for configuring an installed server component, the system comprising:

a version of execution environment-independent data set for the server component packed into a container and then installed from the container into an execution environment on a computer, the computer having a version-specific operating system managing a process virtual address space;

a control program that monitors the installed component and configuration of the execution environment;

wherein the data set and auxiliary information that includes at least one identifier and at least one descriptor are received from a remote source;

wherein the control program uses the auxiliary information, when the installed server component is activated, to map a correspondence between the process virtual address space and executable code memory, including offset address information of procedures integrated with the installed server component, the correspondence providing information required for executing the procedures integrated with the installed server component, the auxiliary information being mapped including identifier of the procedures and offset address information respective to memory allocation of the procedures;

the mapped correspondence enabling operation of the activated installed server component for subsequent operation; and

wherein the identifier uses a number, a checksum or a name of a file or a procedure of the installed server component,

wherein the descriptor is related to functioning of the installed server component in the execution environment, and describes any of;

the memory allocation, allocation of files of the installed server component in a directory structure, and file structure of the installed server component, and

wherein the container includes metadata corresponding to the descriptor, the metadata including vendor-specific information and target environment specific information.