Patent ID: 7181382

Claim:
A method for testing a computer component by the use of a framework that facilitates communication between a test application operating in a user address space of an operating system and the computer component operating in a kernel address space of the operating system, wherein the method comprises: creating a component object in the kernel address space, wherein the component object comprises at least one interface for communicating data with the computer component; creating a proxy object in the user address space, wherein the proxy object is configured to represent the component object, wherein the proxy object represents the component object by relating an operating system identifier to the proxy object and to the component object; establishing a communication channel between the proxy object in the user address space and the component object in the kernel address space; communicating a plurality of data parameters from the test application to the proxy object, wherein the data parameters represent a method call; combining the plurality of data parameters into a formatted data packet, wherein the formatted data packet is configured for transmission through the communication channel; communicating the formatted data packet from the proxy object in the user address space to the component object in the kernel address space, wherein communicating the formatted data packet is facilitated by the communication channel; decombining the formatted data packet, thereby retrieving the plurality of data parameters from the formatted data packet for processing by the component object; communicating the plurality of data parameters from the component object to the computer component for processing of the plurality of data parameters by the computer component; arranging the plurality of parameters such that the component object perceives the method call as occurring locally; in the kernel address space, combining a plurality of component data parameters into a second formatted data packet, wherein the component data parameters represent a component method call, wherein the second formatted data packet is configured for transmission through the communication channel; communicating the second formatted data packet containing the plurality of component data parameters from the component object in the kernel address space to the proxy object in the user address space, wherein communicating the second formatted data packet is facilitated by the communication channel; decombining the second formatted data packet, thereby retrieving the plurality of component data parameters from the second formatted data packet for processing by the proxy object; and arranging the plurality of parameters such that the proxy object perceives the component method call as occurring locally.