Signatures for facilitating hot upgrades of modular software components

A method for operating a telecommunications network device including a modular architecture, comprising:

• operating the network device using a first set of software components from a first release;
• receiving a request for a hot upgrade to a second release;
• opening a first packaging list from the first release, wherein the first packaging list includes a list of software components in the first release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the first release;
• opening a second packaging list from the second release, wherein the second packaging list includes a list of software components in the second release and a list of corresponding signatures for the software components in the second release;
• comparing, for each software component, the signatures in the first packaging list to the signatures in the second packaging list;
• continuing to operate the network device using software components in the first set of software components having signatures that match the signatures of corresponding software components in the second set of software components;
• and
• operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components.

A method for generating software for a telecommunications network device including a modular architecture, comprising:

• creating a set of software components;
• generating a signature for each software component using a signature generating program;
• appending the signature for each software component to each software component;
• generating a packaging list including a list of each software component and a list of the signatures for each software component;
• and
• building a release including the software components and the packaging list.

A telecommunications network device, comprising:

• a modular software architecture including:
• a first release, including a first set of software components, for operating the network device;
• a second release, including a second set of software components, for operating the network device;
• a first process capable of receiving a request for a hot upgrade from the first release to the second release;
• a second process capable of determining if signatures for software components in the first set of software components match signatures for corresponding software components in the second set of software components;
• and
• a third process capable of continuing to operate the network device using software components in the first set of software components having signatures that match the signatures of corresponding software components in the second set of software components and capable of operating the network device using software components in the second set of software components having signatures that did not match the signatures of corresponding software components in the first set of software components.