Systems and methods for detecting and automatically installing missing software components

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting and automatically installing missing software components, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

detecting a failed attempt by a process to load a shared object;

identifying the shared object requested in the failed attempt;

automatically obtaining the shared object from a network-accessible storage device at least in part by:

determining that the shared object is not identified within a local cache object that identifies prior unsuccessful attempts to obtain shared objects;

upon determining that the shared object is not identified within the local cache object, transmitting a request for the shared object to the network-accessible storage device, the request comprising metadata that identifies the shared object;

receiving the shared object from the network-accessible storage device;

installing the shared object on the computing device;

successfully loading the shared object.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon detecting the failed attempt to load the shared object, suspending the process.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, upon successfully loading the shared object, returning control to the process.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the failed attempt to load the shared object comprises detecting the failed attempt using at least one of:

a kernel-mode driver;

a user-mode driver.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the shared object comprises identifying the shared object based on at least one of:

the shared object's name;

version information associated with the shared object;

an interface identifier associated with the shared object;

an object identifier associated with the shared object;

at least one import address table entry associated with the shared object;

a digital signature associated with the shared object.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically obtaining the shared object from the network-accessible storage device comprises automatically obtaining an installation package for the shared object from the network-accessible storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the shared object on the computing device comprises:

storing the shared object on the computing device;

executing an installation package for the shared object.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared object comprises a dynamically-linked library.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dynamically-linked library comprises one of:

a side-by-side DLL;

a COM DLL;

a standard DLL.

10. A system for detecting and automatically installing missing software components, the system comprising:

a detection module programmed to detect a failed attempt by a process to load a shared object;

an identification module programmed to identify the shared object requested in the failed attempt;

a local cache object that identifies prior unsuccessful attempts to obtain shared objects;

an installation module programmed to:

automatically obtain the shared object from a network-accessible storage device at least in part by:

determining that the shared object is not identified within the local cache object;

upon determining that the shared object is not identified within the local cache object, transmitting a request for the shared object to the network-accessible storage device, the request comprising metadata that identifies the shared object;

receiving the shared object from the network-accessible storage device;

install the shared object on the computing device;

successfully load the shared object;

at least one processor configured to execute at least one of the detection module, the identification module, and the installation module.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the detection module is further programmed to suspend the process upon detecting the failed attempt to load the shared object.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the installation module is further programmed to return control to the process upon successfully loading the shared object.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the detection module comprises at least one of:

a kernel-mode driver;

a user-mode driver.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the installation module automatically obtains the shared object from the network-accessible storage device by automatically obtaining an installation package for the shared object from the network-accessible storage device.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the installation module installs the shared object on the computing device by:

storing the shared object on the computing device;

executing an installation package for the shared object.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

detect a failed attempt by a process to load a shared object;

identify the shared object requested in the failed attempt;

automatically obtain the shared object from a network-accessible storage device at least in part by:

determining that the shared object is not identified within a local cache object that identifies prior unsuccessful attempts to obtain shared objects;

upon determining that the shared object is not identified within the local cache object, transmitting a request for the shared object to the network-accessible storage device, the request comprising metadata that identifies the shared object;

receiving the shared object from the network-accessible storage device;

install the shared object on the computing device;

successfully load the shared object.