Using Content-Derived Names for Configuration Management

Configuration management of compiled software artifacts (programs, libraries, icons, etc.) is a growing problem as soft-ware reuse becomes more prevalent. For an application com-posed from reused libraries and modules to function correctly, all of the required files must be available and be the correct version. In this paper, we present a simple scheme to address this prob-lem: content-derived names (CDNs). Computing an objects name automatically using digital signatures greatly eases the problem of disambiguating multiple versions of an object. By using con-tent-derived names, developers can ensure that only those soft-ware components that have been tested together are permitted to run together.