Software version fingerprint generation and identification

A computing device comprising:

• a memory that stores instructions;
• and
• one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:
• accessing a metrics matrix comprising candidate metrics to identify each version of code of a plurality of versions of code for a software component;
• generating a fingerprint definition to identify each version of the code for the software component by performing operations comprising:
• (1) determining a best candidate metric among the candidate metrics to identify the most versions of the plurality of versions of code;
• (2) adding the best candidate metric to a set of optimal metrics;
• (3) determining which versions of code of the plurality of versions of code can be identified with the best candidate metric;
• (4) removing the versions of code of the plurality of versions of code that can be identified with the best candidate metric and the best candidate metric from the metrics matrix to generate a reduced metrics matrix;
• and
• (5) repeating (1)-(4) on the reduced metrics matrix until all versions of the plurality of versions of code are uniquely identified by the set of optimal metrics or until there is one or more versions of code that cannot be uniquely identified using the candidate metrics;
• and
• based on determining that all versions of the plurality of version of code are uniquely identified by the set of optimal metrics, generating a fingerprint for each version of code for the software component, using the fingerprint definition comprising the set of optimal metrics.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by at least one processor to cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

• accessing a metrics matrix comprising candidate metrics to identify each version of code of a plurality of versions of code for a software component;
• generating a fingerprint definition to identify each version of the code for the software component by performing operations comprising:
• (1) determining a best candidate metric among the candidate metrics to identify the most versions of the plurality of versions of code;
• (2) adding the best candidate metric to a set of optimal metrics;
• (3) determining which versions of code of the plurality of versions of code can be identified with the best candidate metric;
• (4) removing the versions of code of the plurality of versions of code that can be identified with the best candidate metric and the best candidate metric from the metrics matrix to generate a reduced metrics matrix;
• and
• (5) repeating (1)-(4) on the reduced metrics matrix until all versions of the plurality of versions of code are uniquely identified by the set of optimal metrics or until there is one or more versions of code that cannot be uniquely identified using the candidate metrics;
• and
• based on determining that all versions of the plurality of version of code are uniquely identified by the set of optimal metrics, generating a fingerprint for each version of code for the software component, using the fingerprint definition comprising the set of optimal metrics.