Container Runtime Rebuild Across Different Processor Architectures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container runtime engines struggle with rebuilding containers across different processor architectures, leading to inconsistencies in execution sequences and outputs due to architecture-specific archives.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that involves exporting an export file and contextual information from a first container runtime engine in a first processor architecture, allowing a second container runtime engine in a second processor architecture to rebuild the container, tailored with architecture-specific tweaks, ensuring consistent execution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a container is exported using an architecture-specific archive format, then the container can be efficiently stored and transferred, but the container cannot be properly rebuilt on a different processor architecture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer export efficiencyVSAvoidcontainer portability across architectures

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary translation layer that converts architecture-specific container exports into a universal intermediate representation. This intermediate format serves as a mediator between different processor architectures, allowing containers to be rebuilt on any architecture without direct architecture-specific dependencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The container export is segmented into architecture-independent metadata and architecture-specific binary components. The metadata portion contains all necessary build instructions, dependencies, and configuration information that can be universally interpreted, while the binary components are separately handled through architecture-specific compilation processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a container is rebuilt on a different processor architecture, then the container can achieve broader system compatibility, but the execution sequence and outputs may become inconsistent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer architecture compatibilityVSAvoidexecution consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent systematically tracks and transforms architectural parameters during the container rebuild process. It identifies all architecture-dependent parameters (instruction sets, memory layouts, system calls) and applies appropriate transformations to maintain execution semantics across different architectures, ensuring that the logical execution sequence remains invariant.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism that verifies container execution consistency across architectures. During the rebuild process, it compares execution traces, output sequences, and behavioral characteristics against the original container to detect and correct any deviations, ensuring reliability is maintained.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If architecture-specific optimizations are applied to containers, then performance on that specific architecture is improved, but the container cannot be ported to other architectures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer execution performanceVSAvoidcontainer portability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic container architecture that can adapt its optimization level based on the target processor architecture. The container build system automatically detects the target architecture and applies appropriate optimization strategies, allowing the same container definition to achieve near-native performance on multiple different architectures without sacrificing portability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20260086835A1Container runtime engine, and method and system of the same

Publication Date: 2026.03.26 RED HAT INC

AI summary

Method and system for improving a container runtime engine to allow rebuilding containers for different processor architectures are provided. The method may include exporting an export file and contextual information based on a container by a first container runtime engine in a first processor architecture. The method may further include rebuilding the container based on the export file and the contextual information by a second container runtime engine, wherein the rebuilt container is configured to be run by the second container runtime engine in a second processor architecture. The system may include at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that cause the method to be performed.