Runtime code modification in a multi-threaded environment
First Claim
1. A method for making a desirable modification to a site in a code region forming part of a computer program during execution of the computer program by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:
- providing identical modification instructions to each thread for modifying the site in the code region, wherein the modification instructions direct each thread to make the desirable modification, without use of a self-loop, using an idempotent atomic instruction, wherein the idempotent atomic instruction is generated to ensure that the desirable modification does not cross a patching boundary by NOP insertion.
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Abstract
A code region forming part of a computer program is modified during execution of the computer program by a plurality of threads. In one aspect, identical modification instructions are provided to each thread for modifying a site in the code region having a desirable idempotent atomic modification, and the modification instructions direct each thread to make the desirable idempotent atomic modification. In another aspect, a thread is selected to modify the code region, each thread other than the selected thread is directed to execute an alternative execution path that generates output identical to the output of the code region after the code region has been modified, and, responsive to directing each thread other than the selected thread, the selected thread is directed to modify the code region.
36 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for making a desirable modification to a site in a code region forming part of a computer program during execution of the computer program by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:
providing identical modification instructions to each thread for modifying the site in the code region, wherein the modification instructions direct each thread to make the desirable modification, without use of a self-loop, using an idempotent atomic instruction, wherein the idempotent atomic instruction is generated to ensure that the desirable modification does not cross a patching boundary by NOP insertion. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for making a desirable modification to a code region forming part of a computer program during execution of the computer program by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:
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selecting a thread to modify the code region; directing each thread other than the selected thread to follow an alternative execution path that generates output identical to output of the code region after the desirable modification has been made to the code region without use of a self-loop; responsive to directing each thread other than the selected thread, directing the selected thread to make the desirable modification to the code region so as to generate a modified code region; and responsive to completion of the desirable modification by the selected thread, directing each thread to execute the modified code region. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for causing a desirable modification to be made to a site in a code region forming part of a computer program during execution of the computer program by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:
generating, as executable code in the code region, a call to a set of modification instructions, the modification instructions using an idempotent atomic instruction to make the desirable modification without use of a self-loop, so that each thread reaching the call will execute the idempotent atomic instruction, wherein the idempotent atomic instruction is generated to ensure that the desirable modification does not cross a patching boundary by NOP insertion. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method for causing a desirable modification to be made to a code region forming part of a computer program during execution of the computer program by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:
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generating, as executable code in the code region, a call to a set of instructions that causes the desirable modification to be made without use of a self-loop; and generating, as the set of instructions, executable code that, when executed, performs; causing an arbitrary thread that executes the set of instructions to become a selected thread; directing each thread other than the selected thread to follow an alternative execution path that generates output identical to output of the code region after the desirable modification has been made to the code region; responsive to directing each thread other than the selected thread, directing the selected thread to make the desirable modification to the code region so as to generate a modified code region; and directing each thread to execute the modified code region in response to completion of the desirable modification by the selected thread. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification