Use of binary file comparison tools in software release management

Abstract

Software release management policy and technique can be significantly improved by providing configuration management personnel with the capability to independently verify that compiled modules are unchanged from the previous release. Typically, both compiling and linking processes embed various timestamps within binary compiled files, rendering conventional comparison tools useless for configuration management work. Being unable to perform such file matches wastes development effort by needlessly re-testing modules that have not changed at the object level, and risks not testing modules that have changed in some subtle way. The methodology of US Patent No 6236993 provides objective evidence that files containing embedded timestamps are identical without specifying the location, format or length of any specific timestamp within the file. The patented comparison method automatically recognizes and reconciles embedded tokens (e.g., timestamps) within binary compiled files.