Identifier generation using named objects

• US 9,298,499 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Jump, Daniel B., LeBlanc, David C., Carver, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): DE JESUS LASSALA, CARLOS MANUEL
• Application Number:
  US13/360,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 726/27, 713165-167
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A candidate identifier for a process is generated and an attempt is made to have a named object created that has a name that is the candidate identifier. In response to the attempt succeeding and the named object being created, the candidate identifier is used as an identifier for the process. In response to the attempt not succeeding and the named object not being created, the generating and attempting are repeated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, at a device, a candidate identifier for a process, the candidate identifier comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being common across multiple candidate identifiers and the second portion being selected from a set of values, the set of values being a function of rules or criteria that determine the process'"'"'s access to resources of the device, a particular number of values in the set of values being based on performance counters of the device;

attempting to have a named object created, the named object having a name that is the candidate identifier;

using, in response to the attempting successfully having the named object created, the candidate identifier as an identifier for the process;

preventing, in response to the attempting to have a named object created, the creating of the named object having the same name as another named object; and

repeating, in response to the attempting not successfully having the named object created, the generating and attempting by selecting another value from the set of values for the second portion.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, the identifier for the process comprising a security identifier indicating which of one or more resources of the device the process is permitted to access.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, the candidate identifier including the first portion being a fixed portion and the second portion being a variable portion.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, the particular number of values being a limit on a number of processes that can exist on the device.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, the process being a process of a program, and the limit being a limit on a number of processes of the program that can exist on the device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising releasing the named object when the process terminates.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, the repeating comprising repeating the generating and attempting a particular number of times, and ceasing the generating and attempting after the particular number of times.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, the process being a process of a program, and the generating, attempting, and using being performed by the program.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, the attempting successfully having the named object created only if another named object having a name that is the candidate identifier does not exist on the device.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the performance counters represent resource usage.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the performance counters comprise processor usage, memory usage, storage usage, or network connection usage.

12. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a request for an identifier for a process of a program;

generate, at the computing device, a candidate identifier for the process, the candidate identifier comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being common across multiple candidate identifiers and the second portion being selected from a set of values, the set of values being a function of rules or criteria that determine the process'"'"'s access to resources of the device, a particular number of values in the set of values being based on performance counters of the device;

attempt to create a named object having a name that is the candidate identifier;

prevent, in response to the attempting to have created a named object having the same name as another named object, the creating of the named object; and

return to the program, in response to the attempt successfully creating the named object, the candidate identifier as the identifier for the process.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to, in response to the attempt not successfully creating the named object:

generate an additional candidate identifier for the process, the additional candidate identifier comprising the first portion and an additional second portion, the first portion being common across multiple candidate identifiers and the additional second portion being selected from the set of values;

attempt to create an additional named object having a name that is the additional candidate identifier; and

return to the program, in response to the attempt successfully creating the additional named object, the additional candidate identifier as the identifier for the process.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to repeatedly generate further additional candidate identifiers and attempt to create the additional named object with the further additional candidate identifiers until the attempt is successful.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, the identifier for the process comprising a security identifier indicating which of one or more resources of the computing device the process is permitted to access.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, the candidate identifier including the first portion being a fixed portion and the second portion being a variable portion.

17. A system as recited in claim 12, the particular number of values being a limit on a number of processes that can be running concurrently on in the computing device.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, the limit being a limit on a number of processes of the program that can be running concurrently on the computing device.

19. A system as recited in claim 12, the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to release the named object when the process terminates.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a security identifier for a process of a program on a computing device, the security identifier indicating which of one or more resources of the computing device the process is permitted to access;

generating, at the computing device, a candidate security identifier for the process, the candidate security identifier including a fixed portion and a variable portion, the fixed portion being common across multiple candidate identifiers and identifying the program, and the variable portion being selected from a particular set of values, the set of values being a function of rules or criteria that determine the process'"'"'s access to resources of the device, a particular number of values in the set of values being based on performance counters of the device;

attempting to create a named object having a name that is the candidate security identifier;

in response to the attempting successfully creating the named object, returning the candidate security identifier as the security identifier for the process;

in response to the attempting to have a named object created having the same name as another named object, preventing the creating of the named object; and

in response to the attempting not successfully creating the named object, repeating the generating and attempting by selecting another value from the set of values for the second portion one or more times.