kernel upgrades and kernel driversmodules dependancies question

Hi !

I have noticed that when you do automatic updates with up2date or yum update, sometimes a new kernel is installed. This for example requires to dosomething special with the nvidia driver. If you are not careful to disable X, and reinstall the nvidia driver after the upgrade, X refuses to run correctly.

I would like to know why this happens. What is the dependency between the kernel module version and the kernel itself.

Is a minor correction to the kernel affecting this ? Eg. from 2.x.y.a to 2.x.y.b ?

Is a more important move like from 2.x.a.n to 2.x.b triggering this ?

In fact, I need to understand the implications of installing kernel modules with regard to automatic updates. For example, suppose I need to install an oracle supplied kernel module, and I run up2date to update my system, and up2dates changes my kernel (or worse, another admin does this on behalf of the DBA) and suddenly, oracle breaks, or corrupts data silently.

How do you deal with up2date ? Should you prevent automatic kernel updates ? In this case, what about important security fixes in the kernel ?

Is there:

- a document explaning what exactly cause a kernel module to stop working after a kernel update - a document explaining HOW TO identify which modules dependent on the kernel are installed on the server - a document explaining what to dowith those modules when a new release of the kernel is installed and you cannot recompile the kernel module (or there is no revision corresponding to the newer kernel)

Sorry if the questions si not really clear, I'm not english speaking.

Thanks