Abstracting special file interfaces to concurrently support multiple operating system levels

A computer program product for returning data, stored in a memory of a kernel of a second instance of an operating system, to a first instance of the operating system in a data format compatible with the first instance of the operating system, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to,
• access, in response to a request by the first instance of the operating system to access a symbol, a data address stored in an entry for the symbol in a symbol table stored in the memory of the kernel of the second instance of the operating system,
• determine whether symbol stored in the memory of the kernel of the second instance of the operating system is in the data format compatible with the first instance of the operating system,
• use the data address to access the symbol from the symbol table, and
• return the symbol to the first instance of the operating system in the data format that is compatible with the first instance of the operating system.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processing unit;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the at least one processing unit cause the at least one processing unit to perform operations to
• access, in response to a request by a first instance of an operating system, data stored in a memory of a kernel of a second instance of the operating system, wherein the first instance of the operating system and the second instance of the operating system run concurrently on the system, wherein the first instance of the operating system and the second instance of the operating system share the kernel, and wherein the second instance of the operating system manages the kernel,
• determine whether the data stored in the memory of the kernel of the second instance of the operating system is in the data format that is incompatible with the first instance of the operating system, and
• return the data to the first instance of the operating system in a data format that is compatible with the first instance of the operating system.