Automated Porting Difficulty Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Porting applications across different operating systems and hardware platforms is time-consuming and difficult due to the need for manual identification and verification of system-specific functions, with no effective automation available to streamline this process.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that constructs feature vectors for each function, classifies them into system function families, and identifies the most similar functions between source and target platforms, providing an assessment of porting difficulty and recommending candidate functions for mismatched or missing functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual identification and verification of system-specific functions is performed, then porting accuracy can be maintained, but porting time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical verification processes with automated computer-based function analysis. The system automatically compares source platform functions with target platform functions using computational algorithms, eliminating the need for manual review while maintaining accuracy in identifying equivalent functions and detecting mismatches.
Solution Approach 2:
The porting system performs self-verification by automatically analyzing function signatures, parameters, and return types to identify equivalent functions between platforms. The system independently detects mismatches and generates porting recommendations without requiring human intervention in the verification process.
2Productivity
If automated function comparison is implemented, then porting speed increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex porting assessment into distinct functional components: function signature analysis, parameter type comparison, return value verification, and equivalence determination. Each component handles a specific aspect of function comparison independently, making the overall complex system manageable through modular decomposition.
3Reliability
If manual configuration steps are required to meet hypervisor requirements, then system compatibility can be ensured, but porting effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of function requirements and compatibility constraints before the actual porting begins. The system pre-identifies potential compatibility issues, required configuration changes, and equivalent functions in advance, allowing porters to prepare configuration settings beforehand rather than performing tedious manual configuration steps during the porting process.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the invention include systems and methods configured to efficiently evaluate the efforts of a code migration (e.g., porting task) between different platforms. A non-limiting example computer-implemented method includes receiving a function of a source platform. The function can include a plurality of fields. An initial vector is constructed for each of the plurality of fields. The initial vector encodes a value of the respective field according to an encoding rule. The initial vectors are merged into a single final vector and the final vector is classified into one of a plurality of system function families of the source platform. A vector of a target platform at a minimum distance to the final vector is identified and an assessment is provided that includes a difficulty in porting a project comprising the function between the source platform and the target platform based at least in part on the minimum distance.