Apparatus and method for verifying compatibility of system components
First Claim
1. A method for verifying that a plurality of system components executing on a computer system are compatible with each other, wherein a component version is associated with each of said plurality of components, and wherein each of said components is associated with a component version identifier identifying the component version of said component, said method comprising steps of:
- obtaining the component version identifier associated with a first of said plurality of components;
determining whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said first component satisfies requirements for compatibility with a second of said plurality of components;
obtaining the component version identifier associated with said second of said plurality of components; and
determining whether the component version identified by said component version identifier for associated with said second component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first of said plurality of components, wherein the determination whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said second component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first component is independent of the determination whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said first component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said second component.
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Abstract
Each component of a plurality of interacting system components is associated with a version identifier. The version identifier is stored in a location accessible by the other components. Each component independently reads the version identifier of every other component with which it must interact, and compares this value to an internally stored compatibility record to determine whether the other component satisfies requirements for compatibility with the verifying component. Any component which detects an incompatibility signals an error to the system. In the preferred embodiment, the components are software modules, and the version identifier and compatibility record contain integer values. The compatibility record value represents the minimum level required of the module being verified for compatibility with the verifying module. Compatibility verification is accomplished by comparing the actual level of the module being verified with the minimum level in the compatibility record. If the actual level is equal to or greater than the minimum level, the module being verified satisfies compatibility requirements.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for verifying that a plurality of system components executing on a computer system are compatible with each other, wherein a component version is associated with each of said plurality of components, and wherein each of said components is associated with a component version identifier identifying the component version of said component, said method comprising steps of:
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obtaining the component version identifier associated with a first of said plurality of components; determining whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said first component satisfies requirements for compatibility with a second of said plurality of components; obtaining the component version identifier associated with said second of said plurality of components; and determining whether the component version identified by said component version identifier for associated with said second component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first of said plurality of components, wherein the determination whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said second component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first component is independent of the determination whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said first component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said second component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A first system component of a plurality of interacting components of a computer system, wherein a component version is associated with each of said plurality of interacting components, said first system component comprising:
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a storage area for storing the component version, identifier of said first system component, wherein said computer system includes means for providing said component version identifier of said first system component to a second component of said plurality of interacting components; identifier fetching means for obtaining the component version identifier associated with said second component of said plurality of interacting components; means for accessing compatible component version identifier information for said first component, said compatible component version identifier information comprising data other than said component version identifier associated with said first system component; comparing means for comparing said component version identifier obtained by said identifier fetching means with said compatible component version identifier information to determine whether the component version identified by said component version identifier satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first component. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer system comprising:
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at least one programmable processor; a plurality of interacting system components, wherein a respective component version identifier is associated with each of said plurality of interacting components; means for obtaining the component version identifier associated with a first of said plurality of components; means for determining whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said first module satisfies requirements for compatibility with a second of said plurality of components; means for obtaining the component version identifier associated with said second of said plurality of components; and means for determining whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said second component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first of said plurality of components, wherein the determination whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said second component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said first component is independent of the determination whether the component version identified by said component version identifier associated with said first component satisfies requirements for compatibility with said second component. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification