Signatures for facilitating hot upgrades of modular software components

• US 20040031030A1
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Equipe Communications Corporation
• Inventors: Perreault, Edward l., Hurley, Jim, Kidder, Joseph D., Mahler, Michael B., Stearns, Margaret
• Granted Patent: US 6,880,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0685 Clock or time synchronisation in a node; Intranode synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0008 Synchronisation information channels, e.g. clock distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for facilitating hot upgrades of software components within a telecommunications network device through the use of “signatures” generated by a signature generating program. After installation of a new software release within the network device, only those software components whose signatures do not match the signatures of corresponding and currently executing software components are upgraded. Signatures promote hot upgrades by identifying only those software components that need to be upgraded. Since signatures are automatically generated for each software component as part of putting together a new release a quick comparison of two signatures provides an accurate assurance that either the software component has changed or has not. Thus, signatures provide a quick, easy way to accurately determine the upgrade status of each software component.

Claims

1. A method for operating a telecommunications network device including a modular architecture, comprising:

operating the network device using a first set of software components from a first release;

receiving a request for a hot upgrade to a second release;

determining if signatures for software components in the first set of software components match signatures for corresponding software components in a second set of software components from the second release;

continuing to operate the network device using software components in the first set of software components having signatures that match the signatures of corresponding software components in the second set of software components; and

operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components that do not have corresponding software components in the first set of software components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if signatures for software components in the first set of software components match signatures for corresponding software components in a second set of software components from the second release, comprises:

opening a first packaging list from the first release, wherein the first packaging list includes a list of software components in the first release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the first release;

opening a second packaging list from the second release, wherein the second packaging list includes a list of software components in the second release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the second release; and

comparing, for each software component, the signatures in the first packaging list to the signatures in the second packaging list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components, comprises:

implementing the software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components in accordance with an upgrade instructions file in the second release.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the upgrade request is from an external network management system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving a request for a hot upgrade to a second release, the method further comprises:

detecting an installation of the second release within the network device; and

providing an indication of the installation of the second release to an external network management system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing an indication of the installation of the second release to an external network management system, comprises:

sending a notification to the external network management system.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein providing an indication of the installation of the second release to an external network management system, comprises:

adding a record to a table internal to the network device indicating the second release has been installed, wherein the table is periodically polled by the external network device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating software components in the first set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of software components in the second set of software components.

10. A method for operating a telecommunications network device including a modular architecture, comprising:

operating the network device using a first set of software components from a first release;

receiving a request for a hot upgrade to a second release;

opening a first packaging list from the first release, wherein the first packaging list includes a list of software components in the first release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the first release;

opening a second packaging list from the second release, wherein the second packaging list includes a list of software components in the second release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the second release;

comparing, for each software component, the signatures in the first packaging list to the signatures in the second packaging list;

continuing to operate the network device using software components in the first set of software components having signatures that match the signatures of corresponding software components in the second set of software components; and

operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components.

11. A method for generating software for a telecommunications network device including a modular architecture, comprising:

creating a set of software components;

generating a signature for each software component using a signature generating program;

appending the signature for each software component to each software component;

generating a packaging list including a list of each software component and a list of the signatures for each software component; and

building a release including the software components and the packaging list.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of software components is a first set of software components, the packaging list is a first packaging list and the release is a first release and wherein the method further comprises:

modifying at least one software component in the first set of software components;

including the at least one modified software component and the remaining software components from the first set of software components in a second set of software components;

generating a signature for each software component in the second set of software components using the signature generating program;

appending the signature for each software component in the second set of software components to each software component;

generating a second packaging list including a list of each software component in the second set of software components and a list of the signatures for each software component in the second set of software components; and

building a new release including the second set of software components and the second packaging list.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein prior to generating a signature for each software component in the second set of software components using the signature generating program, the method further comprises:

creating a new software component; and

including the new software component in the second set of software components.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to generating a signature for each software component using a signature generating program, the method further comprises:

blocking out extraneous data within each software component.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to generating a signature for each software component using a signature generating program, the method further comprises:

removing extraneous data within each software component; and

wherein appending the signature for each software component in the second set of software components to each software component, includes;

replacing the removed extraneous data within each software component.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the signature generating program comprises a cryptographic program.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cryptographic program comprises the Sha-1 cryptographic utility.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the cryptographic program comprises the MD2, MD4 or MD5 hash function.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the cryptographic program comprises the Ripemd128 or Ripemd160 hash function.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the signature generating program comprises a checksum program.

21. A telecommunications network device, comprising:

a modular software architecture including;

a first release, including a first set of software components, for operating the network device;

a second release, including a second set of software components, for operating the network device;

a first process capable of receiving a request for a hot upgrade from the first release to the second release;

a second process capable of determining if signatures for software components in the first set of software components match signatures for corresponding software components in the second set of software components; and

a third process capable of continuing to operate the network device using software components in the first set of software components having signatures that match the signatures of corresponding software components in the second set of software components and capable of operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components.

22. The telecommunications network device of claim 21, wherein the first, second and third processes comprise the same process.

23. The telecommunications network device of claim 21, wherein the first and second processes comprise different processes.

24. The telecommunications network device of claim 21, wherein the first release comprises a first packaging list, including a list of software components in the first release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the first release, and wherein the second release comprises a second packaging list, including a list of software components in the second release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the second release, and wherein the second process determines if signatures for software components in the first set of software components match signatures for corresponding software components in a second set of software components by opening the first and second packaging lists and comparing, for each software component, the signatures in the first packaging list with the signatures in the second packaging list.

25. The telecommunications network device of claim 21, wherein the third process is further capable of operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components that do not have corresponding software components in the first set of software components.