Patent ID: 8165930

Claim:
A computer implemented method for processing aircraft software parts, the computer implemented method comprising: receiving, in at least one processor in an aircraft, an incoming crate containing an aircraft software part from a source outside of an aircraft software part management apparatus; validating, using the at least one processor, a set of signatures for the incoming crate and the aircraft software part; responsive to the set of signatures being valid, unpacking the incoming crate using the at least one processor; unpacking, using the at least one processor, the crate to obtain the aircraft software part; responsive to a request to upload the aircraft software part to a library in the aircraft software part management apparatus, determining, using the at least one processor, whether the aircraft software part meets a policy; responsive to the aircraft software part meeting the policy, signing, using the at least one processor, the aircraft software part to form a signed aircraft software part; placing, using the at least one processor, the signed aircraft software part in a crate, signing, using the at least one processor, the crate containing the signed aircraft software part to form a signed crate wherein signatures for the signed aircraft software part and the signed crate are different from the set of signatures in the incoming crate; and sending and storing, using the at least one processor, the signed crate to the library in the aircraft software part management apparatus, wherein the library is stored on at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium in communication with the at least one processor.