A network peripheral device driver maintenance framework and corresponding
method is disclosed. The framework includes a driver version
identification level comprising a set of driver version descriptions.
Each driver version comprises a set of component versions that make upon
each particular driver version. A driver component level, under the
driver version identification level, comprises uniquely identified
component versions (containers) comprising sets of driver files that make
up the component versions identified by the driver versions. A method for
maintaining multiple simultaneously active networked peripheral device
drivers is disclosed. The method includes storing a new driver on the
machine in a manner including the following steps performed by a machine.
Initially, the machine establishes, within a directory structure, a
container for storing a set of driver files constituting a version of a
driver component. A unique identifier name is assigned to the new
container. A set of driver files associated with the component version is
inserted within the container.