Data transfer protection in a multi-tasking modeling environment

• US 9,038,077 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Yu, Biao, Carrick, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Adam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/257,120
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms

Abstract

A system for providing model level protection for resources holding data accessed by multiple tasks in a model is discussed. The protection occurs at the model level so that the protection mechanism does not interfere with model dynamics. Resources concurrently accessed by multiple tasks are identified so that a unified protection mechanism can be applied to the resource. A user interface may be provided which enables the selection of a particular type of protection mechanism for the data in the resource. User supplied protection mechanisms may also be implemented.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a resource that is concurrently accessed by a plurality of tasks during an execution of a model,

the identifying being performed by a computer;

associating the resource with a central resource,

the associating the resource with the central resource being performed by the computer;

modifying a task code associated with a task of the plurality of tasks,

the modified task code causing the central resource to be accessed when the task executes, and

the modifying being performed by the computer;

receiving information identifying one or more attributes associated with a multi-tasking modeling environment,

the receiving the information identifying the one or more attributes being performed by the computer;

determining, based on the one or more attributes, a protection mechanism to protect the central resource from being concurrently accessed by the plurality of tasks during the execution of the model,

the determining the protection mechanism being performed by the computer; and

protecting, using the protection mechanism, the central resource from being concurrently accessed by the plurality of tasks during the execution of the model,

the protecting being performed by the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, where the modified task code includes a reference to the protection mechanism.

3. The method of claim 2, where the reference includes one or more of:

a pointer,

information identifying a memory location associated with the protection mechanism, or

information identifying a memory location associated with the central resource.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating code for the task,

the generated code excluding the protection mechanism.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

accessing the protection mechanism using the generated code for the task.

6. The method of claim 1, where the central resource includes a grouped resource,

the grouped resource including a plurality of resources.

7. The method of claim 1, where the resource comprises at least one of:

a memory location,

a buffer,

a bus,

a processor,

a processor core, or

a device that receives and outputs data.

8. A device comprising:

one or more processors to;

identify a resource that is concurrently accessed by at least two tasks during an execution of a model;

associate the resource with a central resource;

modify, based on associating the resource with the central resource, a task code associated with a task of the at least two tasks,

the modified task code causing the central resource to be accessed to implement a functionality of the task during the execution of the model;

receive information identifying one or more attributes associated with a multi-tasking modeling environment;

determine, based on the one or more attributes, a protection mechanism to protect the central resource from being concurrently accessed by the at least two tasks during the execution of the model; and

implement the protection mechanism to protect the central resource during the execution of the model.

9. The device of claim 8, where, when modifying the task code, the one or more processors are to:

modify the task code to cause the task, when executed during the execution of the model, to utilize a reference that invokes protection logic for implementing the protection mechanism.

10. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

generate code for the protection mechanism,

the code generated for the protection mechanism comprising a code segment that is separate from code generated for the model.

11. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

receive information identifying another protection mechanism to be used to protect the central resource during the execution of the model.

12. The device of claim 11, where, when implementing the protection mechanism, the one or more processors are to:

protect the central resource, using the other protection mechanism, during the execution of the model.

13. The device of claim 8,

where, when determining the protection mechanism, the one or more processors are to:

determine a group of protection mechanisms based on the one or more attributes,

the group of protection mechanisms including the protection mechanism;

provide information identifying the group of protection mechanisms for display;

receive a selection of the protection mechanism; and

determine the protection mechanism based on the selection.

14. The device of claim 8, where protecting the central resource using the protection mechanism enables a behavior of the task to be independently evaluated during the execution of the model.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

identify a resource that is concurrently accessed by a plurality of tasks during an execution of a model;

associate the resource with a central resource;

modify, based on associating the resource with the central resource, a task code associated with a task of the plurality of tasks,

the modified task code causing the central resource to be accessed to implement a functionality of the task during the execution of the model;

receive information identifying one or more attributes associated with a multi-tasking modeling environment;

determine, based on the one or more attributes, a protection mechanism to protect the central resource from being concurrently accessed by the plurality of tasks during the execution of the model; and

protect the central resource, using the protection mechanism, during the execution of the model.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the resource comprises a memory location storing data that is concurrently accessed by the plurality of tasks during the execution of the model, and

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

cause the data to be stored by the central resource.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions to modify the task code include:

one or more instruction that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

modify the task code to cause the task to utilize a reference that invokes protection logic for implementing the protection mechanism.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instruction that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

generate code for implementing the protection mechanism that is separate from code generated to execute the model.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, where the code for implementing the protection mechanism includes one or more of:

a module,

a container,

a fragment of code, or

a code segment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions to determine the protection mechanism comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a group of protection mechanisms for protecting the central resource based on the one or more attributes,

the group of protection mechanisms including the protection mechanism,

provide information identifying the group of protection mechanisms for display to a user,

receive a selection of the protection mechanism, and

determine the protection mechanism based on the selection.