System and methods for monitoring functions in natively compiled software programs

Claim 2

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein each stub in turn calls an entry point into a monitoring routine for monitoring the function associated with the stub.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein each stub includes a jump instruction for returning control back to the function associated with the stub.

Claim 4

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said scanning step includes: performing a binary search on known functions sorted by function address to determine function addresses that should be patched to call stubs.

Claim 5

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said scanning step includes: performing a binary search on known functions sorted by function address to determine function addresses that should be patched to call stubs.

Claim 6

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said scanning step includes: disassembling all code of the particular program for determining each call instruction to a function which is to be monitored, whereupon microprocessor instructions defining each such call are patched to call the stub associated with the function.

Claim 7

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said scanning step includes: disassembling all code of the particular program for determining each call instruction to a function which is to be monitored, whereupon microprocessor instructions defining each such call are patched to call the stub associated with the function.

Claim 8

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said debugging information includes symbolic information indicating names addresses for functions.

Claim 9

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said debugging information includes symbolic information indicating names addresses for functions.

Claim 10

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein at least one stub invokes a monitoring routine for analyzing the function associated with the stub.

Claim 11

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein at least one stub invokes a monitoring routine for analyzing the function associated with the stub.

Claim 12

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, further comprising: stripping debugging information from the particular program when no further monitoring is desired.

Claim 13

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, further comprising: stripping debugging information from the particular program when no further monitoring is desired.

Claim 14

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said step of determining names and address locations of functions includes: sorting name and address location information both by name and by address, for allowing fast lookups by name or by address.

Claim 15

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said step of determining names and address locations of functions includes: sorting name and address location information both by name and by address, for allowing fast lookups by name or by address.

Claim 16

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said step of scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored includes: scanning all addresses present in relocation tables of the particular program; and disassembling all code of the particular program, for searching for relative call instructions.

Claim 17

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein said step of scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored includes: scanning all addresses present in relocation tables of the particular program; and disassembling all code of the particular program, for searching for relative call instructions.

Claim 18

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein at least one stub invokes a profiler, for recording invocation of the function associated with the stub prior to actual execution of the function.

Claim 19

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein at least one stub invokes a profiler, for recording invocation of the function associated with the stub prior to actual execution of the function.

Claim 20

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein a return address is saved during program execution for each function call which is invoking an associated stub.

Claim 21

In a software development system for developing software programs, a method for monitoring functions in natively-compiled software programs, the method comprising: receiving a request to monitor functions of a particular program which has been compiled with debugging information; determining names and address locations of functions to be monitored in the particular program; building a stub table that has a stub associated with each function to be monitored; and scanning the particular program for replacing each call instruction to a function being monitored with a call instruction to a stub associated with the function, so that all calls to a particular function to be monitored are modified to call the stub instead of directly calling the particular function, wherein a return address is saved during program execution for each function call which is invoking an associated stub.

Claim 22

The method of claim 11, wherein said return address is saved on a parallel stack.