Method and apparatus for implementing inter-component function calls

• US 9,696,990 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Togan, Valeriu, Rotaru, Marius Constantin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Cuong V
• Application Number:
  US14/551,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4486 Formation of subprogram jump address

Abstract

A method of implementing inter-component function calls. The method comprises generating a lower tier indirection data structure comprising an entry indicating a location in memory of a function within a first software component, a higher tier indirection data structure comprising an entry indicating a location in memory of the lower tier indirection data structure, and a configuration data structure comprising an entry defining an active version of the first software component. The method further comprises implementing executable computer program code for an inter-component function call by referencing entries within the configuration data structure, the higher tier indirection data structure and the lower tier indirection data structure.

Claims

1. A method of implementing inter-component function calls within a computer program, the method comprising:

generating at least a first lower tier indirection data structure associated with at least a first software component, the at least first lower tier indirection data structure comprising at least one entry indicating a location in memory of at least one function within the at least first software component;

generating at least one higher tier indirection data structure comprising a component entry indicating a location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure;

generating at least one configuration data structure comprising at least one entry defining an active version of the at least first software component, wherein the at least one entry comprises a version index reference, and wherein the version index reference comprises an index of the component entry in the at least one higher tier indirection data structure; and

implementing executable computer program code for at least one inter-component function call to the at least one function within the at least first software component from within at least one further software component to;

load the version index reference comprising an indication of an active version of the at least first software component comprising the function to be called from an entry within the configuration data structure;

reference the component entry within the at least one higher tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure based on the loaded version index reference; and

reference an entry in the at least first lower tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least one function within the at least first software component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a lower tier indirection structure is generated for each software component comprising at least one function accessible outside of the respective software component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a lower tier indirection structure is generated for each of a first version of the at least first software component and at least one further version of the at least first software component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the higher tier indirection structure comprises an entry indicating a location in memory of the lower tier indirection structure for the first version of the at least first software component, and a further entry indicating a location in memory of the lower tier indirection structure for the at least one further version of the at least first software component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each lower tier indirection data structure comprises an entry for each function within the software function associated therewith.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one higher tier indirection data structure comprises an entry for each lower tier indirection data structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each entry within each of the higher and lower tier indirection data structures comprises as least one from a group comprising:

an address in memory; and

an address offset value.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein a lower tier indirection structure is generated for each of a first version of the at least first software component and at least one further version of the at least first software component.

8. A non-transitory computer program product having executable program code stored therein for implementing inter-component function calls within a computer program, the program code operable for:

generating at least a first lower tier indirection data structure associated with at least a first software component, the at least first lower tier indirection data structure comprising at least one entry indicating a location in memory of at least one function within the at least first software component;

generating at least one higher tier indirection data structure comprising a component entry indicating a location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure;

generating at least one configuration data structure comprising at least one entry defining an active version of the at least first software component, wherein the at least one entry comprises a version index reference, and wherein the version index reference comprises an index of the component entry in the at least one higher tier indirection data structure; and

implementing executable computer program code for at least one inter-component function call to the at least one function within the at least first software component from within at least one further software component to;

load the version index reference comprising an indication of an active version of the at least first software component comprising the function to be called from an entry within the configuration data structure;

reference the component entry within the at least one higher tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure based on the loaded version index reference; and

reference an entry in the at least first lower tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least one function within the at least first software component.

9. An apparatus having one or more processors for generating executable computer program code comprising at least one processing module arranged to implement inter-component function calls within computer programs;

wherein the at least one processing module is arranged to;

generate at least a first lower tier indirection data structure associated with at least a first software component, the at least first lower tier indirection data structure comprising at least one entry indicating a location in memory of at least one function within the at least first software component;

generate at least one higher tier indirection data structure comprising a component entry indicating a location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure;

generate at least one configuration data structure comprising at least one entry defining an active version of the at least first software component, wherein the at least one entry comprises a version index reference, and wherein the version index reference comprises an index of the component entry in the at least one higher tier indirection data structure; and

implement executable computer program code for at least one inter-component function call to the at least one function within the at least first software component from within at least one further software component to;

load the version index reference comprising an indication of an active version of the software component comprising the function to be called from an entry within the configuration data structure;

reference the component entry within the at least one higher tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure based on the loaded version index reference; and

reference an entry in the at least first lower tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least one function within the at least first software component.

10. A non-transitory computer program product having executable computer program code stored therein comprising:

at least a first software component comprising at least one function;

at least one lower tier indirection data structure associated with the at least a first software component, the at least first lower tier indirection data structure comprising at least one entry indicating a location in memory of at least one function within the at least first software component;

at least one higher tier indirection data structure comprising a component entry indicating a location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure;

at least one configuration data structure comprising at least one entry defining an active version of the at least first software component, wherein the at least one entry comprises a version index reference, and wherein the version index reference comprises an index of the component entry in the at least one higher tier indirection data structure;

at least one further software component comprising at least one inter-component function call to the at least one function within the at least first software component, the at least one inter-component function call arranged to;

load the version index reference comprising an indication of an active version of the at least first software component comprising the function to be called from an entry within the configuration data structure;

reference the component entry within the at least one higher tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure based on the loaded version index reference; and

reference an entry in the at least first lower tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least one function within the at least first software component.

11. A device comprising at least one processing module arranged to execute computer program code comprising:

at least a first software component comprising at least one function;

at least one lower tier indirection data structure associated with the at least a first software component, the at least first lower tier indirection data structure comprising at least one entry indicating a location in memory of at least one function within the at least first software component;

at least one higher tier indirection data structure comprising a component entry indicating a location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure;

at least one configuration data structure comprising at least one entry defining an active version of the at least first software component, wherein the at least one entry comprises a version index reference, and wherein the version index reference comprises an index of the component entry in the at least one higher tier indirection data structure;

at least one further software component comprising at least one inter-component function call to the at least one function within the at least first software component, the at least one inter-component function call arranged to;

load the version index reference comprising an indication of an active version of the at least first software component comprising the function to be called from an entry within the configuration data structure;

reference the component entry within the at least one higher tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least first lower tier indirection data structure based on the loaded version index reference; and

reference an entry in the at least first lower tier indirection data structure to determine the location in memory of the at least one function within the at least first software component.