A Runtime Adaptation Framework for Native C and Bytecode Applications

The need for self-healing software to respond with a reactive, proactive or preventative action as a result of changes in its environment has added the non-functional requirement of adaptation to the list of facilities expected in self-managing systems. The adaptations we are concerned with assist with problem detection, diagnosis and remediation. Many existing computing systems do not include such adaptation mechanisms, as a result these systems either need to be re-designed to include them or there needs to be a mechanism for retro-fitting these mechanisms. The purpose of the adaptation mechanisms is to ease the job of the system administrator with respect to managing software systems. This paper introduces Kheiron, a framework for facilitating adaptations in running programs in a variety of execution environments without requiring the re-design of the application. Kheiron manipulates compiled C programs running in an unmanaged execution environment as well as programs running in Microsoft's Common Language Runtime and Sun Microsystems' Java Virtual Machine. We present case-studies and experiments that demonstrate the feasibility of using Kheiron to support self-healing systems. We also describe the concepts and techniques used to retro-fit adaptations onto existing systems in the various execution environments.