Using content-derived names for configuration management
Jeffrey K. Hollingsworth, Ethan L. Miller · 1997
Configuration management of compiled software artifacts (programs, libraries, icons, etc.) is a growing problem as software reuse becomes more prevalent. For an application composed from reused libraries and modules to function correctly, all of the required files must be available and be the correct version. In this paper, we present a simple scheme to address this problem: content-derived names (CDNs). Computing an object's name automatically using digital signatures greatly eases the problem of disambiguating multiple versions of an object. By using content -derived names, developers can ensure that only those software components that have been tested together are permitted to run together. 1. Introduction As software modularity and code reuse have evolved from academic concept to accepted practice, programs have changed from self-contained monolithic files to a complex collection of interrelated files. A typical application today might consist of a main executable file and severa...