Maintaining multiple valid concurrent serialized object versions

• US 20040250239A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fox, James E., Magee, Erich S., Sizemore, Robert C., Liggitt, Jordan T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for concurrently maintaining serialized objects that were created from more than one version of a class definition. According to preferred embodiments, a component maps and enforces multiple valid stream-unique version identifiers (“SUIDs”) for a collection of class definitions (such as the classes of a software product that is undergoing change from one version to another). This component programmatically detects when an object'"'"'s SUID value does not match the code attempting to deserialize the object, and then programmatically determines whether the object is compatible with the code even though the SUID values do not match. Preferably, this determination is made by consulting a stored mapping, in which the SUIDs of compatible versions have been recorded.

Claims

1. A method of enabling multiple valid versions of serialized objects to be maintained concurrently, comprising steps of:

determining a serialized object to be deserialized;

determining a version of the serialized object; and

programmatically consulting a mapping to determine whether the serialized object'"'"'s version is identical to a particular version of code to be used for the deserialization, and if not, whether the serialized object'"'"'s version is compatible with the particular version.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mapping stores an identifier of the particular version of code and an identifier of each of zero or more other versions of the code that are compatible with the particular version.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the serialized object is a Java™

object.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mapping is created by one or more developers who determines which versions of code are compatible.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of substituting an identifier of the particular version for an identifier of the serialized object'"'"'s version, upon determining that the serialized object'"'"'s version is compatible, when providing the serialized object to code used in the deserialization.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mapping further comprises comments that document differences between the particular version and at least one of the other versions.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a notification of the code to be used, the serialized object'"'"'s version, and the particular version, when the consulting step determines that the serialized object'"'"'s version is not identical to, or compatible with, the particular version.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a notification of the code to be used and the serialized object'"'"'s version, when the consulting step determines that the serialized object'"'"'s version is not identical to, or compatible with, the particular version.

9. A system for enabling multiple valid versions of serialized objects to be maintained concurrently, comprising:

a serialized object to be deserialized;

means for determining a version of the serialized object; and

means for programmatically consulting a mapping to determine whether the serialized object'"'"'s version is identical to a particular version of code to be used for the deserialization, and if not, whether the serialized object'"'"'s version is compatible with the particular version.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the mapping stores an identifier of the particular version of code and an identifier of each of zero or more other versions of the code that are compatible with the particular version.

11. The system according to claim 9, further comprising means for substituting an identifier of the particular version for an identifier of the serialized object'"'"'s version, upon determining that the serialized object'"'"'s version is compatible, when providing the serialized object to code used in the deserialization.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising means for creating a notification of the code to be used, the serialized object'"'"'s version, and the particular version, when the means for consulting determines that the serialized object'"'"'s version is not identical to, or compatible with, the particular version.

13. A computer program product for enabling multiple valid versions of serialized objects to be maintained concurrently, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

computer-readable program code means for determining a serialized object to be deserialized;

computer-readable program code means for determining a version of the serialized object; and

computer-readable program code means for programmatically consulting a mapping to determine whether the serialized object'"'"'s version is identical to a particular version of code to be used for the deserialization, and if not, whether the serialized object'"'"'s version is compatible with the particular version.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the mapping stores an identifier of the particular version of code and an identifier of each of zero or more other versions of the code that are compatible with the particular version.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the serialized object is a Java™

object.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the mapping is created by one or more developers who determines which versions of code are compatible.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising computer-readable program code means for substituting an identifier of the particular version for an identifier of the serialized object'"'"'s version, upon determining that the serialized object'"'"'s version is compatible, when providing the serialized object to code used in the deserialization.

18. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the mapping further comprises comments that document differences between the particular version and at least one of the other versions.

19. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising computer-readable program code means for creating a notification of the code to be used and the serialized object'"'"'s version, when the computer-readable program code means for consulting determines that the serialized object'"'"'s version is not identical to, or compatible with, the particular version.