Cross-platform Containerized Execution via Manifest Exclusion Directories
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containerization technologies face challenges in executing cross-platform applications on different operating systems without deep kernel integration, as they rely on platform-specific commands and resources, limiting the portability of containerized images.
Innovation Solution
A method that modifies container images to include target reference checksums, exclusion/inclusion directories, and symbolic links, allowing a lightweight container runtime engine to provide filesystem isolation on a target platform without deep kernel integration, enabling cross-platform application execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If container images are designed for specific platforms with platform-specific commands and resources, then execution reliability on the target platform is improved, but portability across different operating systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a platform-agnostic container image format as an intermediary layer between the build platform and target platform. This format uses standardized filesystem structures and metadata that can be interpreted by any container runtime engine, eliminating direct dependencies on platform-specific commands and resources while maintaining execution reliability through proper isolation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The container image is segmented into distinct layers including a standardized filesystem layer, metadata layer, and application layer. This segmentation allows the image to be built on one platform and executed on another by separating platform-independent artifacts from platform-specific execution contexts, thereby improving portability without sacrificing reliability.
2Reliability
If deep kernel integration is implemented for filesystem isolation, then security and isolation reliability are improved, but system complexity and difficulty of porting deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing deep kernel integration, the patent creates a copied and isolated filesystem view for each container at runtime. The container runtime engine generates a unique identifier for each container and uses this to mount isolated filesystem views, providing reliable filesystem isolation through copying rather than kernel-level integration, thereby reducing system complexity and improving portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The container image is prepared in advance with a standardized filesystem structure and metadata that describes the desired isolation characteristics. This preliminary preparation allows the container runtime engine to establish filesystem isolation using standard operating system mechanisms rather than requiring deep kernel integration, thus maintaining reliability while reducing complexity.
3Reliability
If platform-specific runtime engines are developed for each operating system, then execution compatibility is improved, but development effort and maintenance complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal container image format and runtime engine interface that can execute the same container image on different operating systems. The standardized format includes metadata and filesystem structures that are interpreted consistently across platforms, allowing a single container image to run on multiple operating systems without requiring separate platform-specific runtime engines, thereby reducing development effort and maintenance complexity while maintaining execution compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A manifest file from a container image for a cross-platform application that has been containerized for execution on a source platform specifies image layers for the cross-platform application within the container image and are ordered from a first image layer through a last image layer. The manifest file specifies exclusion/inclusion directories related to containerized execution of the cross-platform application on a target platform different than the source platform. Starting with the first image layer and ending at the last image layer, each image layer is unpacked at the target platform by copying files from the image layer to a directory at the target platform in accordance with the identified exclusion/inclusion directories. A version of the cross-platform application corresponding to the image layers as unpacked at the target platform is executed in a containerized manner.