Techniques for modifying a compiled application

A method for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting into said first set of compiled;
• instructions a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior;
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein the new set of one or more instructions are inserted at a location based on where, within said first set of instructions, resides a particular instruction that is associated with entering a target routine in the first set.

A method for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting into said first set of compiled instructions a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior:
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein the new set of one or more instructions are inserted at a location based on where, within said first set of instructions, resides a particular instruction that is associated with exiting a target routine in the first set.

A method for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting into said first set of compiled instructions a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior;
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein said step of invoking the modification routine comprises invoking a routine that accumulates data about performance of the application.

A method for automatically monitoring performance of a compiled application, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• and
• generating a modified set of compiled instructions, including:
• inserting a first set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine in association with entering a particular routine within the first set of compiled instructions;
• and
• inserting a second set of one or more instructions that invoke a second modification routine in association with exiting the particular routine;
• wherein the modified set of compiled instructions causes a processor to perform the steps of:
• invoking the modification routine when entering the particular routine;
• and
• invoking the second modification routine when exiting the particular routine.

A method for automatically monitoring performance of a compiled application, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• receiving first data indicating a plurality of particular routines in the first set;
• generating a modified set of compiled instructions, including:
• inserting, for each particular routine of the plurality of particular routines, a first set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine in association with entering the particular routine within the first set of compiled instructions;
• and
• inserting, for each particular routine of the plurality of particular routines, a second set of one or more instructions that invoke a second modification routine in association with exiting the particular routine;
• and
• executing a runtime module based on the modified set of compiled instructions to cause a processor to perform the steps of:
• invoking the modification routine when entering the particular routine for accumulating first data associated with the particular routine, the first data indicating at least one of a number of times the particular routine is called and a start time for the particular routine;
• and
• invoking the second modification routine when exiting the particular routine for
• accumulating second data associated with the particular routine, the second data indicating at least one of a number of times the particular routine has completed, a number of active calls to the particular routine that have not completed, an end time for the particular routine, an execution time based on a difference between the start time and the end time, an average execution time, a minimum execution time, and a maximum execution time, and
• recording data about performance based on the first data and the second data according to a particular schedule based on a time when the second modification routine is invoked.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior;
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to further perform the step of parsing the first set of compiled instructions to identify an entry point to a target routine that exists in the first set of compiled instructions;
• and
• said step of inserting includes inserting the new set of one or more instructions at a location in the first set of compiled instructions that is based on where the entry point to the target routine resides in the first set of instructions.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior;
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein the new set of one or more instructions are inserted at a location based on where, within said first set of instructions, resides a particular instruction that is associated with entering a target routine in the first set.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior;
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein the new set of one or more instructions are inserted at a location based on where, within said first set of instructions, resides a particular instruction that is associated with exiting a target routine in the first set.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for automatically modifying behavior of a compiled application, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• modifying the first set of compiled instructions to generate a modified set of compiled instructions, including the step of inserting a new set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine that provides new behavior;
• wherein the modification routine is not part of the first set of compiled instructions;
• wherein said step of invoking the modification routine comprises invoking a routine that accumulates data about performance of the application.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for automatically monitoring performance of a compiled application, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a first set of compiled instructions for the application;
• and
• generating a modified set of compiled instructions, including:
• inserting a first set of one or more instructions for invoking a modification routine in association with entering a particular routine within the first set of compiled instructions;
• and
• inserting a second set of one or more instructions that invoke a second modification routine in association with exiting the particular routine;
• wherein the modified set of compiled instructions causes a processor to perform the steps of:
• invoking the modification routine when entering the particular routine;
• and
• invoking the second modification routine when exiting the particular routine.