US 6,651,186 B1 · Remote incremental program verification using API definitions

Abstract

A method of operating a computer system includes providing a program in memory, verifying the program prior to an installation of the program and generating a program fault signal when the verification fails. The program includes at least one program unit, and each program unit includes an Application Programming Interface (API) definition file and an implementation. Each API definition file defines items in its associated program unit that are made accessible to one or more other program units and each implementation includes executable code corresponding to the API definition file. The executable code includes type specific instructions and data. Verification includes determining whether a first program unit implementation is internally consistent, determining whether the first program unit implementation is consistent with a first program unit API definition file associated with the first program unit implementation and generating a program fault signal when the verifying fails. A resource-constrained device includes a memory for providing a remotely verified application software program that includes at least one program unit, each program unit comprising type specific instructions and data. The resource-constrained device also includes a virtual machine that is capable of executing instructions included within the application software program. The remote verification uses an API definition file for each implementation to determine whether a first program unit implementation is internally consistent and to determine whether the first program unit implementation is consistent with a first program unit API definition file associated with the first program unit implementation.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of operating a computer system, said method comprising:

providing a program in memory, the program including at least one program unit, each program unit comprising an Application Programming Interface (API) definition file and an implementation, each API definition file defining items in its associated program unit that are made accessible to one or more other program units, each implementation including executable code corresponding to said API definition file said executable code including type specific instructions and data;
and
performing a first verification including verifying said program prior to an installation of said program, said first verification including
indicating a verification error when a first program unit implementation is not internally consistent;
indicating a verification error when said first program unit implementation is inconsistent with a first program unit API definition file associated with said first program unit implementation;
and
generating a program fault signal when a verification error is indicated.

4 more elements

A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform program verification, comprising:

providing a program in memory, the program including at least one program unit, each program unit comprising an Application Programming Interface (API) definition file and an implementation, each API definition file defining items in its associated program unit that are made accessible to one or more other program units, each implementation including executable code corresponding to said API definition file, said executable code including type specific instructions and data;
and
performing a first verification including verifying said program prior to an installation of said program, said first verification including
indicating a verification error when a first program unit implementation is not internally consistent;
indicating a verification error when said first program unit implementation is inconsistent with a first program unit API definition file associated with said first program unit implementation;
and
generating a program fault signal when a verification error is indicated.

4 more elements

A system for executing a software application, the system comprising:

a computing system that generates executable code, comprising means for providing a program in memory, the program including at least one program unit, each program unit comprising an Application Programming Interface (API) definition file and an implementation, each API definition file defining items in its associated program unit that are made accessible to one or more other program units, each implementation including executable code corresponding to said API definition file, said executable code including type specific instructions and data;
and
means for performing a first verification including verifying said program prior to an installation of said program, said means for performing a first verification including
means for indicating a verification error when a first program unit implementation is not internally consistent;
means for indicating a verification error when said first program unit implementation is inconsistent with a first program unit API definition file associated with said first program unit implementation;
and
means for generating a program fault signal when a verification error is indicated.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Remote incremental program verification using API definitions

Life of this patent

Remote incremental program verification using API definitions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27