System and method for virtualization of networking system software via emulation

Abstract

A network application may be run on a host computer using a target protocol stack by launching a network application on the host computer, opening a target protocol stack library on the host computer before opening a host computer system library and using the target protocol stack library to divert interface calls associated with the network application to a target protocol stack, whereby the network application runs on the host computer as if it were running directly on a computer on which the target protocol stack is available. A network environment may be simulated including wireless communication between a plurality of mobile devices. Multiple instances of the target protocol stack library may be opened to divert interface calls associated with the network application to the target protocol stack. A hardware test bed may be emulated to which the network application may be applied.

1 . A method of running a network application on a host computer using a target protocol stack, comprising:
 launching a network application on a host computer;   opening a target protocol stack library on the host computer before opening a host computer system library; and   using the target protocol stack library to divert interface calls associated with the network application to a target protocol stack,   whereby the network application runs on the host computer as if it were running directly on a computer on which the target protocol stack is available.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein using the target protocol stack library to divert interface calls associated with the network application further comprises:
 using the target protocol stack library to divert data and control interface calls associated with the network application. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 launching an additional network application on the host computer; 
 opening a second target protocol stack library on the host computer before opening a host computer system library, if any; and 
 using the second target protocol stack library to divert interface calls associated with the additional network application to a second target protocol stack, 
 whereby the additional network application also runs on the host computer as if it were running directly on a computer on which the second target protocol stack is available. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the host computer stack includes
 a host computer network operating system and 
 host computer network system hardware, and 
 the target protocol stack includes 
 a target computer network operating system and 
 target computer network system hardware, 
 wherein at least one of the target computer network operating system or the target computer network system hardware is different than the corresponding host computer network operating system or system hardware. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 simulating a network environment including wireless communication between a plurality of mobile devices; and 
 applying the network application to the simulated network environment. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  in which simulating a network environment further comprises:
 simulating the network environment including wireless communication between a plurality of mobile devices on a remote computer in network communication with the network application on the host computer. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein network application is not compatible with the host computer protocol stack. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 opening multiple instances of the target protocol stack library on the host computer; and 
 using the multiple instances of the target protocol stack library to divert interface calls associated with the network application to the target protocol stack. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 opening multiple instances of the target protocol stack library on the host computer; and 
 using the multiple instances of the target protocol stack library to divert interface calls associated with the network application to multiple target protocol stacks. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 opening the target protocol stack library on an additional host computer; and 
 using the target protocol stack library on the additional host computer to divert interface calls associated with the network application to the protocol stack. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 emulating the target protocol stack on the host computer. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 emulating the target protocol stack on a computer networked with the host computer. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 emulating a hardware test bed; and 
 applying the network application to the emulated hardware test bed. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 emulating a first hardware test bed node requiring the target protocol stack; 
 emulating additional hardware test bed nodes; and 
 applying the network application in real time to the combined first and additional emulated hardware test bed nodes. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the network application is in a binary form unmodified from a binary form executable on a computer having only the target protocol stack. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 monitoring operation of the target protocol stack to evaluate operation of the network application. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 monitoring operation of the target protocol stack to evaluate a user's experience. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 evaluating operation of the network application during interaction between a human operator and the target protocol stack. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 using an Internet Protocol network communication service in the target protocol stack to provide communication between the network application and other computers communicating by Internet Protocol communication services. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 using the network application to operate hardware networked to the host computer via the target protocol stack. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the network application on the host computer uses the target protocol stack in an application level proxy operation. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 using a socket application programming interface to simultaneously control system data and system control communications between the network application and the protocol stack library. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 copying application data to socket buffers to exchange data between the network application and the target protocol stack; and 
 using function calls to separately communicate control calls from the network application to the target protocol stack. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein using the protocol stack library to divert data and control interface calls associated with the network application to the target protocol stack further comprises:
 converting the IP address and port numbers for data and control interface calls between the IP address and port numbers of the host computer and IP address and port numbers of the target protocol stack. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 emulating the target protocol stack on a remote computer networked with the host computer; and 
 executing an emulation stub on the remote computer for converting packets received from the target protocol stack to a format recognizable by the target protocol stack on a remote computer. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 emulating the target protocol stack on the host computer; and 
 using a modified socket in the target protocol library for system data and control communication between the target protocol stack and services provided on the host computer.