MECHANISM FOR MANAGING KERNEL APPLICATION BINARY INTERFACE/APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE-BASED DISCREPANCIES RELATING TO KERNEL PACKAGES

• US 20120221890A1
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Das, Kushal
• Granted Patent: US 10,394,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A method for managing kernel interface-based discrepancies may include finding a software package having a first version of a kernel package, and retrieving a first kernel interface information from a first file within the kernel package. The first kernel interface information relates to kernel interfaces associated with the kernel package, wherein the interfaces include kernel application binary interface (kABI). The method may further include forming a first dataset including the first kernel interface information relating to the first version of the kernel package, and detecting kernel discrepancies by comparing the first dataset with a second dataset relating to a second version of the kernel package.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

finding a software package having a first version of a kernel package;

retrieving a first kernel interface information from a first file within the kernel package, wherein the first kernel interface information relates to kernel interfaces associated with the kernel package, wherein the interfaces include a kernel application binary interface (kABI);

forming a first dataset including the first kernel interface information relating to the first version of the kernel package; and

detecting kernel discrepancies by comparing the first dataset with a second dataset relating to a second version of the kernel package.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the kernel interfaces further include application programming interfaces (APIs).

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first version comprises a newly unreleased version of the kernel package, and wherein the second version comprises a previously released version or a standard version of the kernel package.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the kernel discrepancies include intended kernel discrepancies or unintended kernel discrepancies, wherein the unintended kernel discrepancies are based on errors.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising correcting, at a provider, the unintended kernel discrepancies prior to publishing or sending the first version of the kernel package to one or more customers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising maintaining the intended kernel discrepancies, and sending notifications of the maintained intended kernel discrepancies to the customer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first file comprises a development file having the first kernel interface information including one or more of kernel interface names, kernel interface hash numbers, kernel package developer name, kernel package developer group name, customer information, and licensing information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a kernel discrepancy report listing the detected kernel discrepancies.

9. A system comprising:

a host computing device having a memory to store instructions for managing kernel discrepancies, and a processing device to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to;

find a software package having a first version of a kernel package;

retrieve a first kernel interface information from a first file within the kernel package, wherein the first kernel interface information relates to kernel interfaces associated with the kernel package, wherein the interfaces include a kernel application binary interface (kABI);

form a first dataset including the first kernel interface information relating to the first version of the kernel package; and

detect kernel discrepancies by comparing the first dataset with a second dataset relating to a second version of the kernel package.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the kernel interfaces further include application programming interfaces (APIs).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first version comprises a newly unreleased version of the kernel package, and wherein the second version comprises a previously released version or a standard version of the kernel package.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further to determine whether the kernel discrepancies include intended kernel discrepancies or unintended kernel discrepancies, wherein the unintended kernel discrepancies are based on errors.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing device is further to correct, at a provider, the unintended kernel discrepancies prior to publishing or sending the first version of the kernel package to one or more customers.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing device is further to maintain the intended kernel discrepancies, and sending notifications of the maintained intended kernel discrepancies to the customer.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further to maintain the intended kernel discrepancies, and sending notifications of the maintained intended kernel discrepancies to the customer.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

finding a software package having a first version of a kernel package;

retrieving a first kernel interface information from a first file within the kernel package, wherein the first kernel interface information relates to kernel interfaces associated with the kernel package, wherein the interfaces include a kernel application binary interface (kABI);

forming a first dataset including the first kernel interface information relating to the first version of the kernel package; and

detecting kernel discrepancies by comparing the first dataset with a second dataset relating to a second version of the kernel package.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the kernel interfaces further include application programming interfaces (APIs).

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first version comprises a newly unreleased version of the kernel package, and wherein the second version comprises a previously released version or a standard version of the kernel package.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises determine whether the kernel discrepancies include intended kernel discrepancies or unintended kernel discrepancies, wherein the unintended kernel discrepancies are based on errors.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises correct, at a provider, the unintended kernel discrepancies prior to publishing or sending the first version of the kernel package to one or more customers.