Techniques for maintaining compatibility of a software core module and an interacting module

• US 6,971,093 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spring, Maximilian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/855,386
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 717/170, 717/122, 717168-178, 370/238, 707/203
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Techniques for maintaining version compatibility between a first module and one or more interacting modules that interact with the first module through an interface. Stored mapping maps instances of a data structure describing the interface at corresponding release times with corresponding version numbers for the first module. A second version number is automatically developed for a second module of the interacting modules based on the mapping. Compatibility is determined based on a first version number for the first module and the second version number for the second module. These techniques allow the developer of the central module to provide the developers of the interacting modules with a tool to automatically assign version numbers to the interacting module being developed. Automatic assignment of version numbers avoids the tedium and errors associated with manual methods. Furthermore, the automated methods not only ensure compatibility but also discover compatibility with the earliest core module.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining version compatibility between a first computer program module and one or more interacting computer program modules that interact with the first module through a interface with capabilities shared by all the interacting modules, wherein the modules are stored in computer storage, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

creating first information describing the computer program module interface capabilities at one or more times;

storing the first information in a corresponding plurality of instances of a data structure wherein each instance of the data structure corresponds to the interface capabilities at one or more plurality of times;

creating and storing a mapping that associates the plurality of instances with a corresponding plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module;

automatically assigning a second version number for a second computer program module of the one or more interacting modules based on a corresponding instance from the plurality of instances of the data structure contained in the mapping and based on second information describing interface capabilities of the second computer program module;

determining compatibility of the modules based on a first version number for the first module and the second version number for the second module;

wherein the step of automatically assigning comprises;

describing a subset of the interface capabilities, which subset is employed by the second computer program module;

determining from the plurality of instances at least one instance including data describing the subset of the interface capabilities; and

assigning the second version number for the second module based on the corresponding version number in the mapping and the at least one instance.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of assigning the second version number comprises assigning as the second version number a particular value of the plurality of version numbers for the first module, the particular value associated with a particular instance of the at least one instance, the particular instance corresponding to an earliest time of one or more times corresponding to the at least one instance.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module corresponding to the plurality of instances vary in one direction with time of the plurality of times corresponding to the plurality of instances.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of describing the computer program module interface capabilities includes generating and storing in a first instance of the data structure data indicating signatures of a plurality of routines of the interface at a first time, wherein a signature of each routine includes a name of the routine and a type of the routine and parameter types for all parameters of the routine.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

each of the interacting computer program modules include instructions causing one or more processors to obtain at least one of a property of a corresponding networking device type of a plurality of networking devices types and an action performed by the corresponding networking device type;

the first computer program module includes instructions causing one or more processors, based on interacting with a particular interacting computer program module, to perform at least one of communicating with a first device of the corresponding networking device type on a network of networking devices including the first device, and presenting properties of the first device to a network manager for the network, and displaying connections among the networking devices of the network to the network manager; and

the plurality of networking devices types include one or more models of repeater, a switch, a router, a hub, a bridge, and a gateway.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second version number is assigned when the second module is developed;

and compatibility is determined at a later time.

7. A computer-implemented method of maintaining version compatibility between a first module and one or more interacting modules that interact with the first module through an interface, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving data from a stored mapping between a plurality of instances of a data structure describing capabilities of the interface at a corresponding plurality of times and a corresponding plurality of version numbers for the first module;

automatically assigning a second version number for a second module of the one or more interacting modules based on the mapping and based on a description of interface capabilities of the second module;

determining compatibility based on a first version number for the first module and the second version number for the second module;

wherein the step of automatically assigning comprises;

describing a subset of the interface capabilities which subset is employed by the second module;

determining from the plurality of instances at least one instance including data describing the subset of the interface capabilities; and

assigning the second version number for the second module based on the corresponding version number in the mapping and the at least one instance.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said step of assigning the second version number comprises assigning as the second version number a particular value of the plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module, the particular value associated with a particular instance of the at least one instance, the particular instance corresponding to an earliest time of one or more times corresponding to the at least one instance.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module corresponding to the plurality of instances vary in one direction with time of the plurality of times corresponding to the plurality of instances.

10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein a first instance of the data structure comprises data indicating a routine name and a routine type of a routine of the first module at a first time.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first data further indicates a parameter type for the routine.

12. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein a first instance of the data structure comprises data indicating signatures of a plurality of routines of the computer program module interface capabilities at a first time, wherein a signature of each routine includes a name of the routine and a type of the routine and parameter types for all parameters of the routine.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the data indicating signatures of the plurality of routines of the computer program interface capabilities at a first time comprises hashed values, each hashed value uniquely indicating a signature of each routine of the interface.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of routines comprises all the routines of the interface.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of routines comprises all the routines of the interface except routines not implemented in the first module.

16. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the second version number is developed when the second computer program module is developed; and

compatibility is determined at a later time.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein compatibility is determined when the second computer program module is installed for use with the first computer program module.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein compatibility is determined when the second computer program module is invoked for execution by the first module.

19. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein each computer program module of the first computer program module and the one or more interacting computer program modules comprises instructions for causing one or more processors to perform one or more tasks.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein:

each of the interacting computer program modules include instructions causing one or more processors to obtain at least one of a property of a corresponding networking device type of a plurality of networking devices types and an action performed by the corresponding networking device type;

the first module includes instructions causing one or more processors, based on interacting with a particular interacting computer program module, to perform at least one of communicating with a first device of the corresponding networking device type on a network of networking devices including the first device, and presenting properties of the first device to a network manager for the network, and displaying connections among the networking devices of the network to the network manager; and

the plurality of networking devices types include one or more models of repeater, a switch, a router, a hub, a bridge, and a gateway.

21. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first computer program module comprises instructions for causing one or more processors to manage a plurality of networking devices in response to data indicating input by a user.

22. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein each interacting computer program module of the one or more interacting computer program modules comprises instructions for causing one or more processors to provide device-specific information for one of a plurality of networking devices.

23. A computer-implemented method of determining version compatibility between a first computer program module and a computer program second module of one or more interacting modules that interact with the first computer program module through an interface, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first version number for the first computer program module;

automatically assigning a second version number for the second computer program module, the second version number set when the second computer program module is developed based on a mapping between a plurality of instances of a data structure describing the interface capabilities at a corresponding plurality of times and a corresponding plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module and based on a description of interface capabilities of the second computer program module; and

determining whether the computer program modules are compatible based on the first version number and the second version numbers;

wherein the step of automatically assigning comprises;

describing a subset of the interface capabilities, which subset is employed by the second computer program module;

determining from the plurality of instances at least one instance including data describing the subset of the interface capabilities; and

assigning the second version number for the second module based on the corresponding version number in the mapping and the at least one instance.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein:

each of the interacting computer program modules include instructions causing one or more processors to obtain at least one of a property of a corresponding networking device type of a plurality of networking devices types and an action performed by the corresponding networking device type;

the first computer program module includes instructions causing one or more processors, based on interacting with a particular interacting computer program module, to perform at least one of communicating with a first device of the corresponding networking device type on a network of networking devices including the first device, and presenting properties of the first device to a network manager for the network, and displaying connections among the networking devices of the network to the network manager; and

the plurality of networking devices types include one or more models of repeater, a switch, a router, a hub, a bridge, and a gateway.

25. A computer-readable storage medium for maintaining version compatibility between a first computer program module and one or more interacting computer program modules that interact with the first computer program module through an interface, the computer-readable storage medium carrying:

a plurality of instances of a data structure describing the interface capabilities at a corresponding plurality of times;

a mapping that associates the plurality of instances with a corresponding plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module; and

one or more sequences of instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of

retrieving data from the mapping, and

automatically assigning a second version number for a second computer program module of the one or more interacting computer program modules based on the mapping and based on a description of interface capabilities of the second module,

wherein compatibility is determined based on a first version number for the first computer program module and the second version number for the second computer program module;

wherein the step of automatically assigning comprises;

describing a subset of the interface capabilities, which subset is employed by the second computer program module;

determining from the plurality of instances at least one instance including data describing the subset of the interface capabilities; and

assigning the second version number for the second module based on the corresponding version number in the mapping and the at least one instance.

26. A system for maintaining version compatibility between a first computer program module and one or more interacting computer program modules that interact with the first computer program module through an interface, the system comprising:

means for retrieving a stored mapping between a plurality of instances of a data structure describing the interface capabilities at a corresponding plurality of times and a corresponding plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module;

means for automatically assigning a second version number for a second computer program module of the one or more interacting computer program modules based on the mapping and based on a description of interface capabilities of the second module;

means for determining compatibility based on a first version number for the first computer program module and the second version number for the computer program second module;

wherein the automatically assigning means comprises;

means for describing a subset of the interface capabilities which subset is employed by the second computer program module;

means for determining from the plurality of instances at least one instance including data describing the subset of the interface capabilities; and

means for assigning the second version number for the second module based on the corresponding version number in the mapping and the at least one instance.

27. A computer system for maintaining version compatibility between a first computer program module and one or more interacting computer program modules that interact with the first computer program module through an interface, the system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium carrying

a stored mapping between a plurality of instances of a data structure describing the interface capabilities at a corresponding plurality of times and a corresponding plurality of version numbers for the first computer program module, and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

retrieving data from the mapping;

automatically assigning a second version number for a second computer program module of the one or more interacting computer program modules based on the mapping and based on a description of interface capabilities of the second module;

determining compatibility based on a first version number for the first computer program module and the second version number for the second computer program module;

wherein the step of automatically assigning comprises;

describing a subset of the interface capabilities which subset is employed by the second computer program module;

determining from the plurality of instances at least one instance including data describing the subset of the interface capabilities; and

assigning the second version number for the second module based on the corresponding version number in the mapping and the at least one instance.