Method and system for loading classes in read-only memory

Patent 5815718 Issued on September 29, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date:

May 30, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventor

Tock, Theron D.

Application

No. 655474 filed on 05/30/1996

US Classes:

717/166, Using class loader717/118, Bytecode (e.g., Java)719/331DYNAMIC LINKING, LATE BINDING

Examiners

Primary: Voeltz, Emanuel T.
Assistant: Chaki, Kakali

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Foreign Patent References

2 242 293 GB. 09/19/1991

International Class

G06F 009/45

Abstract

A method and system for providing an executable module having an address space for storing program data that is to reside in a read-only storage medium and an address space for storing program data that is to reside in a random access memory is herein described. The executable module represents Java classes that are structured for dynamic class loading. A static class loader is used to modify the class structure to accommodate static loading. The static class loader also identifies methods that contain unresolved symbolic references and data that varies during the execution of the module. These methods and data are identified in order to place them in the address space that resides in the random access memory. The static loader is beneficial in a distributed computing environment having a client computer that has little or no secondary storage thereby requiring applications to run entirely in random access memory. By utilizing a read-only memory to store statically loadable classes, the random access memory is left available for other uses.