System and method for building a run-time image from components of a software program
First Claim
1. A method executing within a computer system having at least one processor for building a run-time image of a software program, comprising:
- providing a plurality of software program components, each software program component having description data defining properties and resources thereof and providing information defining associated script associated with said each software program component for building said each software program component into the run-time image, the resources of said each software program component including binary code files for providing functionality of said each software program component;
selecting a software program component from the plurality of software program components, the selected software program component comprising properties P1 and P2 and a first script block;
generating an instance of the selected software program component, wherein creating the instance comprises;
identifying an inheritance chain for the selected software program component, the inheritance chain containing an additional software program component, the additional software program component comprising properties P2 and P3 and a second script block;
collapsing properties and resources of the software program components in the inheritance chain to form properties and resources of the instance such that the instance comprises properties P1 and P2 from the selected software program component and property P3 from the additional software program component; and
coalescing scripts of the software program components in the inheritance chain to form the script of the instance for building said selected software program component into the run-time image such that the instance comprises the first and second script block;
creating the run-time image by invoking the script included in the instance in a configuration to build the selected software program component into the run-time image, including copying the binary code files of the selected software program component into the run-time image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for generating run-time images of a software program, such as an operating system, builds a run-time image from a plurality of selected software program components, each of which is a discrete packet of functionality. Each component not only specifies its properties and resources but also provides script for its own build behavior. To build the run-time image, a configuration is constructed to include instances of selected components, and the scripts of the instances are invoked such that each component instance builds itself into the run-time image. A general framework is provided for managing the components and the build process. A prototyping scheme is provided for a component to inherit its properties, resources, and script from other components. Each component may also specify dependency data in terms of component inclusion in the run-time image and the orders in which the components are built into the run-time image. A versioning scheme facilitates the tracking of various revisions and upgrades of components.
53 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method executing within a computer system having at least one processor for building a run-time image of a software program, comprising:
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providing a plurality of software program components, each software program component having description data defining properties and resources thereof and providing information defining associated script associated with said each software program component for building said each software program component into the run-time image, the resources of said each software program component including binary code files for providing functionality of said each software program component; selecting a software program component from the plurality of software program components, the selected software program component comprising properties P1 and P2 and a first script block; generating an instance of the selected software program component, wherein creating the instance comprises; identifying an inheritance chain for the selected software program component, the inheritance chain containing an additional software program component, the additional software program component comprising properties P2 and P3 and a second script block; collapsing properties and resources of the software program components in the inheritance chain to form properties and resources of the instance such that the instance comprises properties P1 and P2 from the selected software program component and property P3 from the additional software program component; and coalescing scripts of the software program components in the inheritance chain to form the script of the instance for building said selected software program component into the run-time image such that the instance comprises the first and second script block; creating the run-time image by invoking the script included in the instance in a configuration to build the selected software program component into the run-time image, including copying the binary code files of the selected software program component into the run-time image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method executing within a computer system having at least one processor for building a run-time image of a software program comprising:
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providing a plurality of software program components, each software program component having description data defining properties and resources thereof and providing information defining associated script associated with said each software program component for building said each software program component into the run-time image, the resources of said each software program component including binary code files for providing functionality of said each software program component; selecting software program components from the plurality of software program components, the selected software program component comprising properties P1 and P2 and a first script block; generating an instance of each selected software program component, the instance, wherein creating the instance comprises; identifying an inheritance chain for the selected software program component, the inheritance chain containing an additional software program component, the additional software program component comprising properties P2 and P3 and a second script block; collapsing properties and resources of the software program components in the inheritance chain to form properties and resources of the instance such that the instance comprises properties P1 and P2 from the selected software program component and property P3 from the additional software program component; and creating the run-time image by invoking the script included in the instance in a configuration to build the corresponding selected software program component into the run-time image, including copying the binary code files of the selected software program component into the run-time image; basing a dependency of each selected software component on a group of software program components from the plurality of software program components, wherein the group defines a dependency type; and overriding the dependency type if each of the software program component specifies any other dependency type. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method executing within a computer system having at least one processor for building a run-time image of a software program comprising:
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providing a plurality of software program components, each software program component having description data defining properties and resources thereof and providing information defining associated script associated with said each software program component for building said each software program component into the run-time image, the resources of said each software program component including binary code files for providing functionality of said each software program component; selecting software program components from the plurality of software program components, the selected software program component comprising properties P1 and P2 and a first script block; generating an instance of each selected software program component, the instance, wherein creating the instance comprises; identifying an inheritance chain for the selected software program component, the inheritance chain containing an additional software program component, the additional software program component comprising properties P2 and P3 and a second script block; collapsing properties and resources of the software program components in the inheritance chain to form properties and resources of the instance such that the instance comprises properties P1 and P2 from the selected software program component and property P3 from the additional software program component; and creating the run-time image by invoking the script included in the instance in a configuration to build the corresponding selected software program component into the run-time images including copying the binary code files of the selected software program component into the run-time image; specifying a list of secondary software program objects logically contained in each selected software program component; and classifying each selected software program component as to a versioning type. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification