Central registry for binding features using dynamic pointers

• US 9,229,985 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Original Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Inventors: Neeman, Itay A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Diem
• Assistant Examiner(s): Verdi, Kacy
• Application Number:
  US14/266,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A first feature (e.g., chart or table) includes a reference to a dynamic pointer. Independently, the pointer is defined to point to a second feature (e.g., a query). The first feature is automatically updated to reflect a current value of the second feature. The reference to the pointer and pointer definition are recorded in a central registry, and changes to the pointer or second feature automatically cause the first feature to be updated to reflect the change. A mapping between features can be generated using the registry and can identify interrelationships to a developer. Further, changes in the registry can be tracked, such that a developer can view changes pertaining to a particular time period and/or feature of interest (e.g., corresponding to an operation problem).

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a client computing device, cause performance of:

responsive to determining that objects have been created, automatically registering the objects within a registry;

responsive to detecting that the objects reference dynamic identifiers, automatically registering, within the registry, links from the objects to the dynamic identifiers, wherein registering a link from any one object of the objects to a dynamic identifier of the dynamic identifiers registers the any one object to receive notifications about events pertaining to the dynamic identifier;

responsive to determining that a first dynamic identifier of the dynamic identifiers has been assigned to a first object of the objects;

based on the links, identifying the objects that are registered to receive notifications about changes to the first dynamic identifier, wherein the identified objects include a second object; and

notifying the identified objects that the first dynamic identifier now references the first object.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second object is configured to respond to the notifying by updating data presented by the second object to reflect data in the first object.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computing device, further cause performance of tracking a history of modifications to the registry.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computing device, further cause performance of:

tracking a history of events that modify the links within the registry; and

presenting a visual timeline of the events in the history.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computing device, further cause performance of:

based on the links in the registry, generating a map of interrelationships between at least some of the objects.

6. The non transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first object executes a search query that returns values, wherein the second object executes code for displaying a chart or table based upon the values.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first object executes code for displaying and receiving input for a menu, wherein the second object executes a search query based upon the input.

8. A method comprising:

sending one or more libraries of code to a client device, the one or more libraries configured to cause the client device to perform, during execution of application code that references the one or more libraries of code;

responsive to determining that objects have been created by the application code, automatically registering the objects within a registry;

responsive to detecting that the objects reference dynamic identifiers, automatically registering, within the registry, links from the objects to the dynamic identifiers, wherein registering a link from any one object of the objects to a dynamic identifier of the dynamic identifier registers the any one object to receive notifications about events pertaining to the dynamic identifier;

responsive to determining that a first dynamic identifier of the dynamic identifiers has been assigned to a first object of the objects in the application code;

based on the links, identifying the objects that are registered to receive notifications about changes to the first dynamic identifier, wherein the identified objects include a second object; and

notifying the identified objects that the first dynamic identifier now references the first object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second object is configured to respond to the notifying by updating data presented by the second object to reflect data in the first object.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more libraries of code are further configured to cause the client device to perform:

tracking a history of modifications to the registry.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more libraries of code are further configured to cause the client device to perform:

tracking a history of events that modify the links within the registry; and

presenting a visual timeline of the events in the history.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more libraries of code are further configured to cause the client device to perform:

based on the links in the registry, generating a map of interrelationships between at least some of the objects.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first object executes a search query that returns values, wherein the second object executes code for displaying a chart or table based upon the values.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first object executes code for displaying and receiving input for a menu, wherein the second object executes a search query based upon the input.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a data repository;

a data server configured to conduct searches upon the data repository;

a server configured to send one or more libraries of code to client devices;

wherein the one or more libraries are configured to cause the client devices to perform, during execution of application code that references the one or more libraries of code;

responsive to determining that data presentation objects have been created by the application code, automatically registering the data presentation objects within a registry;

responsive to detecting that the data presentation objects reference dynamic identifiers, automatically registering, within the registry, links from the data presentation objects to the dynamic identifiers, wherein registering a link from any one data presentation object of the data presentation objects to a dynamic identifier of the notifications about events pertaining to the dynamic identifier;

responsive to determining that a first dynamic identifier of the dynamic identifiers has been assigned to a query object of the data presentation objects in the application code;

automatically registering within the registry a link from the first dynamic identifier to the query object;

based on the links from the data presentation objects to the dynamic identifiers, identifying the data presentation objects that are registered to receive notifications about changes to the first dynamic identifier, wherein the identified objects include a particular data presentation object; and

notifying the identified objects that the first dynamic identifier now references the first object thereby causing the located particular data presentation object to update presented data to reflect results from a search submitted to the data server from the query object.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the particular data presentation object is a chart or a table.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein, prior to executing the application code that assigned the first dynamic identifier to the query object, the link from the first dynamic identifier pointed to an empty value.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more libraries of code include subroutines for creating the data presentation objects and the query object.