Self-describing kernel modules
View Patent ↗A method, and a corresponding mechanism, are used for creating a self-describing kernel module. The method includes the steps of expressing data describing a module in a modmeta file format and creating a C language source file. The C language source file is created by translating the expressed data into a series of C language data structures, wherein the series of C language data structures comprises the C language source file. The C language source file is then compiled and linked into the module itself, thus making the module contain its own descriptive data.
1. A method for creating a self-describing kernel module, comprising:
expressing data describing a module in a modmeta file format, the data including
a module name,
a module version,
a module type, and
a module description which includes one or more of
a text description,
an indication of supported states,
an indication of supported load times,
an indication of dependencies with respect to other modules,
a description of export and import interfaces,
a description of tunable parameters, and
a description of initialization functions;
creating a C language source file, comprising translating the expressed data into a series of C language data structures, wherein the data structures comprise contiguous, variant length C data structures without embedded pointers, and wherein the series of C language data structures comprises the C language source file;
compiling the C language source file into machine-readable form; and
linking the machine-readable form of the C language source file with object files containing the module's code.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising embedding the machine-readable form data into kernel code of the module being described.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein embedding comprises storing the machine-readable form of the C language source file in an ELF-format section, wherein the data can be easily extracted.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein storing the machine-readable form data in the ELF-format section comprises using a C compiler pragma.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein data in separate ELF-format sections of kernel modules are combined by linking the data into a separate ELF-format section of a compiled kernel, so that the data can still be easily extracted even after the kernel is linked.
6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising applying a set of kernel configuration tools to the embedded data and the kernel code.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using C data structures to express discriminated unions.
8. A computer readable medium comprising routines to create self-describing kernel modules, wherein the routines when executed comprise the steps of:
expressing data describing a module in a modmeta file format, the data including
a module name,
a module version,
a module type, and
a module description which includes one or more of
a text description,
an indication of supported states,
an indication of supported load times,
an indication of dependencies with respect to other modules,
a description of export and import interfaces,
a description of tunable parameters, and
a description of initialization functions;
creating a C language source file, comprising translating the expressed data into a series of C language data structures, wherein the data structures comprise contiguous, variant length C data structures without embedded pointers, and wherein the series of C language data structures comprises the C language source file;
compiling the C language source file into machine-readable form; and
linking the machine-readable form of the C language source file with object files containing the module's kernel code.
9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the steps further comprise embedding the machine-readable form data into kernel code of the module being described.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein embedding comprises storing the machine-readable form of the C language source file in an ELF-format section, wherein the data can be easily extracted.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising a C compiler pragma, wherein the C compiler pragma is usable for storing the machine-readable form data in the ELF-format section.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , Wherein data in separate ELF-format sections of kernel modules are combined by linking the data into a separate ELF-format section of a compiled kernel, so that the data can still be easily extracted even after the kernel is linked.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the steps further comprise applying a set of kernel configuration tools to the embedded data and the kernel code.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the steps further comprise using C data structures to express discriminated unions.
15. A mechanism for creating self-describing kernel modules, comprising: a modmeta compiler that executes on one or more computer processors to translate a modmeta data file into a source code file, wherein the source code file comprises a series of contiguous, variant length data structures without embedded pointers; and a linking mechanism to link the modmeta with object code corresponding to kernel code of the module to generate executable code stored in an electronic memory with a computer system, the modmeta data file including
a module name,
a module version,
a module type, and
a module description which includes one or more of
a text description,
an indication of supported states,
an indication of supported load times,
an indication of dependencies with respect to other modules,
a description of export and import interfaces,
a description of tunable parameters, and
a description of initialization functions.
16. The mechanism of claim 15 , wherein the data structures are C language data structures.
17. The mechanism of claim 15 , further comprising means for embedding machine-readable form data into kernel code of the module being described.
18. The mechanism of claim 17 , wherein the embedding means comprises a C compiler pragma.
19. The mechanism of claim 17 , wherein the machine-readable form data are embedded in an ELF-format section, wherein the data can be easily extracted.
20. The mechanism of claim 15 , further comprising a set of kernel configuration tools usable to modify the embedded data.
21. A data structure for a kernel comprising self-describing kernel modules, the data structure comprising:
a kernel executable stored in a computer;
a kernel registry stored in the computer; and
a self-describing kernel module stored in the computer or a computer-readable media, comprising:
kernel code, and
a modmeta table linked to the kernel code and contained within the self-describing kernel module,
wherein the modmeta table is compiled from C language data structures comprising contiguous, variant length C data structures without embedded pointers and wherein the modmeta table includes
a module name,
a module version,
a module type, and
a module description which includes one or more of
a text description,
an indication of supported states,
an indication of supported load times,
an indication of dependencies with respect to other modules,
a description of export and import interfaces,
a description of tunable parameters, and
a description of initialization functions.
22. The data structure of claim 21 , wherein machine-readable form data is embedded into kernel code of a module being described.
23. The data structure of claim 22 , wherein the embedded data are stored an ELF-format section, wherein the data can be easily extracted.
24. The data structure of claim 22 , wherein the machine-readable form data is stored in the ELF-format section comprises using a C compiler pragma.
25. The data structure of claim 24 , wherein data in separate ELF-format sections of the self-describing kernel modules are combined by linking the data into a separate ELF-format section of a compiled kernel, wherein the data can still be easily extracted even after the linking.