Management program, management method, and management device

Abstract

To flexibly construct an IoT platform according to the environment.SOLUTION: A management program causes a processor to construct a platform composed of a plurality of computing hierarchies and execute processing for: acquiring a target project that includes platform construction requirements prescribing the construction of the computing hierarchies and the deployment of an application to each computing hierarchy in order to achieve a solution; determining whether platform structure requirements included in the target project correspond with a requirement definition of the computing hierarchies; executing, if it is determined that the requirements correspond to the requirement definition, a first simulation for testing whether the solution can be achieved on the basis of the platform structure requirements; and, if the solution can be achieved, constructing the computing hierarchies according to the platform construction requirements and deploying the application to each computing hierarchy.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management program, a management method, and a management device for managing a platform. [Background technology]

[0002] In various fields, including manufacturing, logistics, railways, transportation, and electricity, solutions that automate on-site work and provide remote support are effective in resolving issues such as labor shortages, and an IoT (Internet of Things) platform is required to implement such solutions.

[0003] With the rise of cloud computing, systems in various fields such as manufacturing, logistics, railways, transportation, and electricity are now being built and operated as IoT platforms to execute solutions using clouds and networks provided by cloud service providers and telecommunications companies, as well as the various functions and tools that can be used on those clouds, instead of systems that were previously built using dedicated servers and networks.

[0004] In addition, third parties are providing a variety of functions and tools, such as server and network monitoring tools, event detection / judgment / response tools, and content caching, which can be used when operating IoT platforms such as those mentioned above.

[0005] However, when using such clouds, networks, and third-party offerings, system integration (SI) based on the knowledge of specialized engineers and system integrators is required to build and operate a system that meets the specific requirements of each field. In addition, after operation begins, there may be a need to improve or expand the solution or add new solutions, and this also requires specialized knowledge.

[0006] Generally, SI is done manually, and the SI period is long, lasting from several weeks to several months, which means that it takes a long time before the service can start, and even after the service starts, if the IoT platform does not operate stably, the service will be down for a period of time, and it also takes time to expand the provision of new services. In other words, there is a demand for automatic construction, stable operation, and flexible expansion of the IoT platform that runs these solutions.

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses a system design support device that identifies, in a first table, design information that realizes each of a plurality of requirements related to a system to be newly designed, and if, as a result of the identification, multiple pieces of design information are identified for any of the requirements, refers to a second table for the suitability ranking of the combination of each of the multiple pieces of design information with the design information identified for the other requirements to identify the design information that results in a combination with a higher suitability ranking, and outputs the design information identified for each of the multiple requirements to a specified device.

[0008] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes an appropriate migration strategy in response to a request for performance improvement. It identifies whether the server in question, where performance degradation or surplus is occurring, and the performance of other servers affect each other, and judges whether changing the amount of resources on the same device or migrating to another device is appropriate. After confirming the feasibility of the migration strategy, it presents the items to be improved along with the time and cost required for migration, and discloses a management computer that quantitatively indicates the advantages and disadvantages of the configuration change work. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-110325 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2015-524581 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In Patent Document 1, in order to realize automation and remote support of on-site work solutions in various fields, it is necessary to build an entire system including the on-site (edge) and the cloud, as well as the network between them, which is not possible. In addition, it is difficult to handle the operation of such an entire system.

[0011] Patent Document 2 is limited to SLA (Service Level Agreement) monitoring and component control for each component that constitutes the solution, and the effect is limited due to the pre-prepared monitoring and control methods. In addition, it is difficult to respond to system construction means and system expansion.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to construct a platform flexibly according to the environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A management program which is one aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application is a management program which causes a processor to execute the construction of a platform consisting of multiple computing tiers, and is characterized in that it causes the processor to execute the following: an acquisition process which acquires a target case including platform construction requirements which specify the construction of the computing tier to realize a solution and the deployment of applications to the computing tier; a first judgment process which determines whether the platform configuration requirements included in the target case acquired by the acquisition process correspond to a requirements definition of the computing tier; a first simulation process which, if it is determined by the first judgment process that the configuration requirements of the platform correspond to the requirements definition of the computing tier, executes a first simulation to verify whether the solution is feasible based on the configuration requirements of the platform; a first construction process which constructs the computing tier in accordance with the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; and a first deployment process which deploys the application to the computing tier in accordance with the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the representative embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to flexibly construct a platform according to the environment. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the management device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table configuration in the case database. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table configuration of the construction database. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a table configuration of the operation database. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a management process procedure for establishing and operating an IoT platform by a management device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of registration of values ​​of each field constituting a requirement definition table which is an entry of a construction database. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a requirement definition table. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of constructing an IoT platform. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the state after the IoT platform is set. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the application status of the corresponding construction settings to each layer of the IoT platform. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] <Management system> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system. The management system 1 builds and operates an IoT platform for on-site operations using communications and cloud computing, and aims to automate and stably operate system integration (SI) in IoT solutions.

[0017] The management system 1 includes an edge 10, a network 20, an edge cloud 30, a cloud 40, and a management device 100. The combination of the edge 10, the network 20, the edge cloud 30, and the cloud 40 is an IoT platform that is constructed and operated, and indicates a hierarchy of computing and communication.

[0018] The edge 10 is a computer that handles the on-site computing hierarchy that constitutes the IoT platform. The edge 10 is composed of hardware such as an edge gateway, a mobile router, and a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). On the hardware of the edge 10, there exist software such as an OS (Operating System) and basic services 410 on the edge 10 that are basic programs, middleware 411 on the edge 10, and applications 412 on the edge 10.

[0019] The middleware 411 on the edge 10 is software intended to satisfy requirements (hereinafter, solution requirements) for realizing a desired solution such as automation and remote operation of on-site work when running an application 412 on the edge 10. Depending on the implementation method, the middleware 411 on the edge 10 and the basic service 410 on the edge 10 may be the same.

[0020] IoT devices 413 as sensors or actuators for automating the site or providing remote support are connected to the edge 10. Examples of the IoT devices 413 include a camera, a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, a mobile terminal, a robot arm, and an autonomous transport vehicle (AGV: Automated Guided Vehicle). Since multiple IoT devices are connected, the first one is represented as IoT device 413-1, ..., 413-N (N is an integer of 2 or more) in FIG. 1, and the third one is represented as IoT device 413-N.

[0021] The network 20 is a layer for communicatively connecting the edge 10, the edge cloud 30, the cloud 40, and the management device 100. The network 20 may be a wired network such as FTTH (Fiber To The Home) provided by a telecommunications carrier, a telecommunications carrier network such as a wireless network such as a 4G network or a 5G network, the Internet beyond that, or in some cases, a private network built and operated by a company or institution.

[0022] The network 20 includes a basic service 420 on the network 20 (e.g., a monthly subscription, etc.), and a middleware 421 on the network 20 (e.g., priority control, such as network slicing, etc.). Depending on the implementation method, the middleware 421 on the network 20 and the basic service 420 on the network 20 may be the same.

[0023] The edge cloud 30 is a computing tier deployed near the edge 10 and is part of a data center. The edge cloud 30 corresponds to a geographically distributed data center, such as a part of a communication station of a communication carrier located in an area close to the edge 10 or a dedicated area.

[0024] The edge cloud 30 is also known as MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing), standardized by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (3GPP is a registered trademark), and is a computing tier for use when lower latency and data confidentiality are more important than with the cloud 40.

[0025] The edge cloud 30 is equipped with servers and storage as a small-scale data center. The edge cloud 30 provides computational resource services (computing capacity, servers), storage services, virtual network services, content cache services, and the like as basic services 430 on the edge cloud 30, enabling applications 432 on the edge cloud 30 to operate.

[0026] Furthermore, middleware 431 on the edge cloud 30 may exist for the purpose of satisfying requirements for realizing a target solution when running an application 432 on the edge cloud 30. Depending on the implementation method, the middleware 431 on the edge cloud 30 and the basic service 430 on the edge cloud 30 may be the same.

[0027] The cloud 40 is the highest computing tier that constitutes a data center. The cloud 40 includes servers and storage, and provides computing resource services (computing capacity, servers), storage services, virtual network services, content cache services, etc. as basic services 440 on the cloud 40, enabling applications 442 on the cloud 40 to operate.

[0028] Furthermore, middleware 441 on the cloud 40 may exist for the purpose of satisfying requirements for realizing a target solution when running an application 442 on the cloud 40. Depending on the implementation method, the middleware 441 on the cloud 40 and the basic service 440 on the cloud 40 may be the same.

[0029] The management device 100 is a computer that is operated by an operator 50, manages the edge 10, the network 20, the edge cloud 30, and the cloud 40, and builds and operates the platform.

[0030] An operator 50 accesses the management device 100 via a GUI (Graphical User Interface) 101, and sets up, operates, and monitors an IoT platform and applications for implementing a solution.

[0031] <Example of Hardware Configuration of Management Device 100> 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the management device 100. The management device 100 includes a case database 150, a construction database 200, and an operation database 300.

[0032] The case database 150 records, for each case, solutions for automating and remotely managing on-site operations that are run by an IoT platform that spans the site (edge ​​10), cloud groups (cloud 40 and edge cloud 30), and the network 20 between them. The construction database 200 records the construction means of the IoT platform for running the solutions. The operation database 300 records recovery means when the service status agreement (SLA 215) of the solution is violated.

[0033] The management device 100 includes a non-volatile storage device 640 such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a memory 610 which is a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a processor for reading out a program 641 stored in the storage device 640 into the memory 610 and executing it, an input / output device 620 which an operator 50 operates using a mouse, keyboard, display, etc., and a communication device 630 for communicating with the IoT platform.

[0034] The storage device 640 includes the case database 150, the construction database 200, and the operation database 300 shown in Fig. 1, in addition to the program 641. The storage device 640 and the memory 610 are collectively referred to as a storage device.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 1, the management device 100 includes a requirement interpretation unit 110, an implementation setting verification unit 112, an implementation setting unit 113, a DB1, 2 update unit 114, an application deployment unit 120, an operation monitoring unit 121, an operation setting verification unit 122, an operation setting unit 123, and a DB3 update unit 124.

[0036] The requirements interpretation unit 110, the construction setting verification unit 112, the construction setting unit 113, the DB1,2 update unit 114, the application deployment unit 120, the operation monitoring unit 121, the operation setting verification unit 122, the operation setting unit 123, and the DB3 update unit 124 are functions realized, for example, by loading a program 641 stored in a storage device 640 into memory 610 and having the processor 600 execute it.

[0037] The requirements interpretation unit 110 interprets the solution requirements from the viewpoint of items recorded in the case database 150 and the construction database 200. The construction setting verification unit 112 generates basic services and middleware for running the solution as IoT platform settings for one or more sites (edge ​​10), cloud groups (cloud 40 and edge cloud 30), and the network 20 connecting them, based on the requirements interpretation unit 110 and the construction database 200, and verifies the generated basic services and middleware.

[0038] The construction setting unit 113 sets up an IoT platform based on the IoT platform settings (basic services and middleware).

[0039] The DB1,2 update unit 114 updates the case database 150 and the construction database 200.

[0040] The application deployment unit 120 deploys a group of programs for executing a solution to the set IoT platform (a combination of the edge 10, the network 20, the edge cloud 30, and the cloud 40).

[0041] The operation monitoring unit 121 operates the IoT platform while the solution is being executed, and monitors whether the SLA 215 is violated.

[0042] If the current settings may violate the SLA 215, the operation settings verification unit 122 derives other operation methods for the IoT platform using the operation database 300 and verifies countermeasures.

[0043] The operation setting unit 123 sets the operation of the IoT platform based on the verification result by the operation setting verification unit 122.

[0044] The DB3 update unit 124 updates the operational database 300 .

[0045] <Case Database 150 (DB1)> 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table configuration in the case database 150. The case database 150 records, for each case, solutions for automating and remotely managing on-site operations that span the site (edge ​​10), cloud groups (cloud 40 and edge cloud 30), and the network 20 between them.

[0046] Specifically, for example, the case table 160 has fields such as case ID 161, case name 162, customer name 163, target area 164, case summary / SLA 165, and IoT platform construction requirements 166.

[0047] The case ID 161 is an identifier unique to the solution that is a case. The case name 162 is the name of the case. The customer name 163 is the name of the customer who requested the solution that is a case. The target area 164 is the region to which the solution that is a case is applied. The case overview / SLA 165 is a specific explanation of the case. The IoT platform construction requirements 166 indicate the requirements for construction and operation of the IoT platform required to execute the solution that is a case. A combination of values ​​of each field on the same line specifies one solution that is a case.

[0048] The IoT platform development requirements 166 serve as one or more pointers to a requirements definition table 210 in the development database 200, which will be described later. The case table 160 includes, at a minimum, a case ID 161 and the IoT platform development requirements 166.

[0049] The case table 160 records an entry indicating a solution that is a case for each case ID 161. For example, if there are 10 cases, 10 entries are recorded, and if there are 100 cases, 100 entries of solutions are recorded.

[0050] Furthermore, since cases from customers may be repeatedly expanded, reduced, or updated depending on customer requests, it is assumed that the case table 160 will be updated after recording. For example, depending on the status of a case from a customer, the contents of the case summary / SLA 165 may be expanded. As the case summary / SLA 165 expands, the contents of the IoT platform construction requirements 166 increase. In other words, the IoT platform construction requirements 166 may correspond to one requirement ID 211 or may correspond to multiple requirement IDs 211.

[0051] An example of input into the case table 160 may include, for example, case ID 161 = "1", case name 162 = "Improvement of QCD (Quality Cost Delivery) at assembly plant", customer name 163 = "Company A", target area 164 = "District B, 100 m x 200 m manufacturing site", case summary / SLA 165 = "Collect and analyze site logs to improve QCD at the target plant (service availability rate 99.9999%, best effort, data communication amount 1 Tbyte / month or less), early detection of product anomalies (service availability rate 99.9999%, best effort, data communication amount 0.5 Tbyte / month or less, video quality 4K)", and IoT platform construction requirement 166 = "requirement ID 211 = 1 and 2 in construction database 200".

[0052] Moreover, the IoT platform construction requirements 166 are blank when initially registered. The operator 50 in Fig. 1 creates an entry in the requirements definition table 210 for satisfying the IoT platform construction requirements 166 based on interviews with customers who will use the target solution and on the past performance and knowledge of the operator's company and solution providing companies, and then writes the corresponding requirement ID 211 into the IoT platform construction requirements 166. In the case of the first embodiment, the IoT platform construction requirements 166 = "requirement ID 211 in construction database 200 = 1 and 2" is finally written.

[0053] <Construction database 200 (DB2)> 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table configuration of the construction database 200. The construction database 200 records construction means for an IoT platform that is configured across a site (edge ​​10) for running a solution, a group of clouds (cloud 40 and edge cloud 30), and a network 20 between them.

[0054] For example, the construction database 200 has, as a recording format, a requirement definition table 210, a basic service construction table 220, a middleware construction table 230, and an application deployment table 240. Depending on the implementation method, the basic service construction table 220, the middleware construction table 230, and the application deployment table 240 may be the same table.

[0055] 4, the requirements definition table 210 has fields such as a requirement ID 211, a requirement name 212, a solution system 213, a target scale / business type 214, an SLA 215, and a requirements overview 216. The requirements definition table 210 has at least the requirement ID 211, the solution system 213, and the solution system 213. A combination of values ​​of the fields in the same row becomes an entry that specifies one IoT platform construction requirement 166.

[0056] The requirement ID 211 is an identifier unique to an IoT platform construction requirement for constructing an IoT platform.

[0057] The requirement name 212 is the name of the IoT platform development requirement identified by the requirement ID 211 .

[0058] The solution system 213 is a system of solutions such as data collection, data analysis, video monitoring, on-site device control, and remote support operated by the IoT platform.

[0059] The target scale / business type 214 is the scale and business type such as the area size, the number of devices, the number of personnel, and the number of cooperating bases to which the IoT platform construction requirement is applied.

[0060] SLA215 is a service status agreement for the solution in the IoT platform construction requirements.

[0061] The requirement summary 216 is a specific explanation of the IoT platform construction requirement. The requirement definition table 210 includes at least a requirement ID 211, a solution system 213, and an SLA 215.

[0062] The contents of SLA215 include, for example, availability, reliability, performance, and scalability. Examples of availability include service time, service uptime, alternative measures in the event of a major failure, and frequency of version upgrades. An example of reliability is the mean time to recovery in the event of a failure. Examples of performance include best effort, communication speed and bandwidth, communication delay, communication jitter, load on computing resources, and memory and storage capacity. Examples of scalability include the possibility of customization, external connectivity, and number of simultaneous connections.

[0063] In the requirement definition table 210, an entry is recorded for each requirement ID 211. For example, if there are 10 requirements, 10 entries are recorded, and if there are 100 requirements, 100 entries are recorded.

[0064] Furthermore, the construction database 200 includes a basic service construction table 220 for each requirement ID 211. In other words, the requirement ID 211 serves as a pointer to the basic service construction table 220. The basic service construction table 220 includes an edge basic service setting 221, a network basic service setting 222, an edge cloud basic service setting 223, and a cloud basic service setting 224.

[0065] "Basic service configuration" refers to the deployment of software functions required to realize the solution to the hardware of each computing tier (Edge 10, Network 20, Edge Cloud 30, Cloud 40) and the selection and configuration of parameters of that hardware and software.

[0066] The edge basic service setting 221 is setting information for constructing the basic service 410 on the edge 10. Specifically, for example, the edge basic service setting 221 is information used for setting the edge infrastructure type used for the edge 10 such as a control gateway, the computing instance and storage instance operated in the basic service 410 on the edge 10, edge client software, and the like.

[0067] The edge infrastructure type is the type of IT infrastructure used at the edge 10. The computing instance is an instance in which parameters such as the OS to be used, the architecture and number of virtual CPUs, the amount of virtual memory, the network bandwidth, and the number of GPUs are selected.

[0068] A storage instance is a block storage or an instance store. It also includes parameters for selecting file storage and other storage based on storage capacity, durability, availability, throughput, etc., and for setting the amount of capacity to be used.

[0069] Edge client software is software that builds, deploys, and manages software for Edge 10 devices.

[0070] In this way, the edge basic service setting 221 includes the selection of the edge infrastructure type, the selection of parameters in the computing instance, the setting of parameters in the storage instance, and the parameters in the edge client software. The initial settings are input manually, but if the settings can be created by machine learning or the like based on the input examples in step S610 or step S640 in Fig. 6, automatic setting is possible.

[0071] The network basic service setting 222 is setting information for constructing a basic service 420 on the network 20. Specifically, for example, the network basic service setting 222 is information used to set the infrastructure type used for the network 20, such as a 5G line of the communication carrier A, a Fiber to the Home (FTTH) line of the communication carrier A, WiFi, etc., and contract information such as a monthly transfer of 1.5 Tbytes to be used as the basic service 420 on the network 20.

[0072] The network basic service settings 222 are not computing resources of the cloud 40, but are information used to select a communication service provided by a communication carrier and to set parameters such as the total communication data volume and throughput (bandwidth) of the communication service. The initial settings are input manually, but automatic settings are possible if they can be created by machine learning or the like based on examples that have already been input in steps S610 and S640 of Fig. 6.

[0073] The edge cloud basic service setting 223 is setting information for constructing the basic service 430 on the edge cloud 30. Specifically, for example, the edge cloud basic service setting 223 is information used to set the edge cloud infrastructure type used for the edge cloud 30, such as the edge cloud of the telecommunications carrier A, the computation instance and storage instance operated in the basic service 430 on the edge cloud 30, the basic software for the edge cloud 30, and the like.

[0074] The edge cloud infrastructure type is the type of IT infrastructure used in the edge cloud 30. The computing instance is an instance in which parameters such as the OS to be used, the architecture and number of virtual CPUs, the amount of virtual memory, the network bandwidth, and the number of GPUs are selected.

[0075] A storage instance is a block storage or an instance store. It also includes parameters for selecting file storage and other storage based on storage capacity, durability, availability, throughput, etc., and for setting the amount of capacity to be used.

[0076] Edge client software is software that builds, deploys, and manages software for Edge 10 devices.

[0077] In this way, the edge cloud basic service settings 223 are the selection of the edge cloud infrastructure type, the selection of parameters in the computing instance, the setting of parameters in the storage instance, and the parameters in the basic software for the edge cloud 30. The initial settings are input manually, but if it is possible to create the settings by machine learning or the like based on the input examples in step S610 or step S640 in Fig. 6, automatic setting is possible.

[0078] The cloud basic service settings 224 are setting information for constructing a basic service 440 on the cloud 40. Specifically, for example, the cloud basic service settings 224 are information used to set the cloud infrastructure type used for the cloud 40, such as the cloud of cloud provider A, the computation instance and storage instance operated in the basic service 440 on the cloud, and the basic software for the cloud (format conversion instance, analysis instance, edge client management software, etc.).

[0079] Specifically, for example, the cloud basic service settings 224 are parameters for various basic software such as database services, program execution environments, data analysis, real-time analysis of streaming data, data conversion and export, etc. In the initial settings, the parameters are input manually, but if the parameters can be created by machine learning or the like based on the input examples in steps S610 and S640 in Fig. 6, automatic settings are possible.

[0080] Furthermore, the construction database 200 includes a middleware construction table 230 for each requirement ID 211. That is, the requirement ID 211 serves as a pointer to the middleware construction table 230. The middleware construction table 230 includes an edge middleware setting 231, a network middleware setting 232, an edge cloud middleware setting 233, and a cloud middleware setting 234.

[0081] "Middleware configuration" means introducing the middleware functions required to realize a solution into the middleware of each computing tier (edge ​​10, network 20, edge cloud 30, cloud 40) and selecting and configuring the parameters of that middleware.

[0082] The edge middleware setting 231 is setting information for constructing the middleware 411 on the edge 10. Specifically, for example, the edge middleware setting 231 is information used for setting communication control middleware such as transfer data compression and bandwidth control used in the middleware 411 on the edge 10.

[0083] For example, TCP / IP communication has the drawback that the throughput decreases as the communication distance increases, but by setting the communication bandwidth to 50 Mbps, it is possible to control it so that it approaches that value. Also, to reduce packet loss, the reliability of the communication path can be improved by sending multiple copies of the same packet and repeatedly extracting only the first one that arrives on the arrival side. Edge middleware settings 231 are the ON / OFF settings and parameters for functions that prioritize certain communications.

[0084] The network middleware settings 232 are setting information for constructing the middleware 421 on the network 20. Specifically, for example, the network middleware settings 232 are information such as parameters used to set communication control middleware such as communication quality control used in the middleware 421 on the network.

[0085] The edge cloud middleware setting 233 is setting information for constructing the middleware 431 on the edge cloud 30. Specifically, for example, the edge cloud middleware setting 233 is information used for setting communication control middleware such as communication low latency control and communication high reliability control used in the middleware 431 on the edge cloud.

[0086] The cloud middleware setting 234 is setting information for constructing the middleware 441 on the cloud 40. Specifically, for example, the cloud middleware setting 234 is information such as parameters used to set communication control middleware such as communication high reliability control used in the middleware 441 on the cloud.

[0087] The application deployment table 240 includes, for each requirement ID 211, an edge application deployment setting 241, a network application deployment setting 242, an edge cloud application deployment setting 243, and a cloud application deployment setting 244. In other words, the requirement ID 211 serves as a pointer to the application deployment table 240.

[0088] "App deployment configuration" means deploying applications required to realize a solution at each computing tier (edge ​​10, network 20, edge cloud 30, cloud 40).

[0089] The edge application deployment setting 241 is setting information for deploying an edge application on an edge 10. An edge application is an application 412 on an edge 10 in an IoT platform. The edge application deployment setting 241 is information indicating to which edge 10 an edge application is to be deployed.

[0090] The network application deployment setting 242 is setting information for deploying a network application on the network 20. A network application is an application 422 on the network 20 in the IoT platform. The network application deployment setting 242 is information indicating on which network 20 the network application is to be deployed.

[0091] The edge cloud application deployment setting 243 is setting information for deploying an edge cloud application on the edge cloud 30. The edge cloud application is an application 432 on the edge cloud 30 in the IoT platform. The edge cloud application deployment setting 243 is information indicating to which edge cloud 30 the edge cloud application is to be deployed.

[0092] The cloud application deployment setting 244 is setting information for deploying a cloud application on the cloud 40. A cloud application is an application 442 on the cloud 40 in the IoT platform. The cloud application deployment setting 244 is information indicating which cloud 40 the cloud application is to be deployed to.

[0093] Incidentally, the appropriate position for deploying an application is on any one of the edge 10, the edge cloud 30, and the cloud 40, and it is rare for an application to be deployed on the network 20 itself. For this reason, the description of the application 422 on the network 20 is omitted in Figs. 9, 10, and 11.

[0094] An example of input into requirements definition table 210 can be described as follows: requirement ID 211 = "1", requirement name 212 = "log collection, analysis, and visualization of on-site operations", solution type 213 = "log collection and analysis", target scale and business type 214 = "500 Bytes of data are collected every 30 minutes from 50 units of F company's device X, aligned to format C, and visualized on the basic dashboard screen", SLA 215 = "service uptime 99.9999%, best effort, data communication volume 1 Tbyte / month or less", business overview = "understanding the equipment operation status and productivity at the manufacturing site".

[0095] At this time, settings 221 to 224 for constructing basic services of the IoT platform for implementing the content of the requirement ID 211 and settings 231 to 234 for constructing middleware are recorded in a basic service construction table 220 and a middleware construction table 230, respectively.

[0096] 6, these settings 221-224 and 231-234 are manually created based on past SI knowledge in the initial stage. After that, the management device 100 may automatically generate them by performing machine learning using the data created once.

[0097] The learning data serving as explanatory variables are, for example, parameters such as edge basic service setting 221 to cloud basic service setting 224 and edge middleware setting 231 to cloud middleware setting 234 corresponding to requirement ID 211 manually generated based on past SI knowledge. Since these data are set so as to achieve the target requirements, requirement name 212 to SLA 215, which are the requirements corresponding to requirement ID 211 in requirement definition table 210 indicating the target requirements of these data, become correct answer data (objective variables).

[0098] Furthermore, the management device 100 may register the results of new operations as a countermeasure when an SLA 215 violation occurs.

[0099] <Operational Database 300> 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table configuration of the operation database 300. The operation database 300 records recovery measures when a service status agreement (SLA 215) is violated in an IoT platform that is configured across the site (edge ​​10) for running a solution, a group of clouds (cloud 40 and edge cloud 30), and the network 20 between them.

[0100] For example, the operation database 300 has, as a recording format, an event / countermeasure table 310, a basic service operation countermeasure table 320, and a middleware operation countermeasure table 330.

[0101] 5, the event / measure table 310 has fields such as an event / measure ID 311, an event / measure name 312, an event summary 313, and a measure summary 314. The event / measure table 310 has at least the event / measure ID 311.

[0102] The event / measure ID 311 is an identifier for uniquely identifying a specific event and its measure when the SLA 215 is violated.

[0103] The event / measure name 312 is the name of a specific event that occurs when the SLA 215 is violated and the name of the measure taken.

[0104] The event summary 313 is a specific description of the specific event when the SLA 215 is violated.

[0105] The countermeasure summary 314 is a specific explanation of a countermeasure for recovering from a specific event at the time of violation of the SLA 215. The event / countermeasure table 310 includes at least an event / countermeasure ID 311.

[0106] The event / measure table 310 records entries indicating specific events and countermeasures at the time of SLA 215 violation for each event / measure ID 311. For example, if there are 10 events / measures, 10 entries are recorded, and if there are 100 events / measures, 100 entries are recorded.

[0107] Moreover, the event / countermeasure table 310 includes a basic service operation countermeasure table 320 for each event / countermeasure ID 311. In other words, the event ID 311 serves as a pointer to the basic service operation countermeasure table 320. The basic service operation countermeasure table 320 includes an edge basic service countermeasure setting 321, a network basic service countermeasure setting 322, an edge cloud basic service countermeasure setting 323, and a cloud basic service countermeasure setting 324.

[0108] The edge basic service countermeasure setting 321 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the edge basic service setting 221. The edge basic service countermeasure setting 321 is information in which parameter values ​​in the edge basic service setting 221 are changed in order to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0109] The network basic service countermeasure setting 322 is setting information for countering SLA violations by changing and operating the network basic service setting 222. The network basic service countermeasure setting 322 is information obtained by changing the parameter values ​​in the network basic service setting 222 in order to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0110] The edge cloud basic service countermeasure setting 323 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the edge cloud basic service setting 223. The edge cloud basic service countermeasure setting 323 is information in which parameter values ​​in the edge cloud basic service setting 223 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0111] The cloud basic service countermeasure setting 324 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by operating after changing the cloud basic service setting 224. The cloud basic service countermeasure setting 324 is information in which parameter values ​​in the cloud basic service setting 224 are changed in order to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0112] Furthermore, the event / countermeasure table 310 includes a middleware operation countermeasure table 330 for each event / countermeasure ID 311. That is, the event ID 311 serves as a pointer to the middleware operation countermeasure table 330. The middleware operation countermeasure table 330 includes an edge middleware countermeasure setting 331, a network middleware countermeasure setting 332, an edge cloud middleware countermeasure setting 333, and a cloud middleware countermeasure setting 334.

[0113] The edge middleware countermeasure settings 331 are setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the middleware 411 on the edge 10. The edge middleware countermeasure settings 331 are information in which parameter values ​​in the middleware 411 on the edge 10 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0114] The network middleware countermeasure settings 332 are setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the middleware 421 on the network 20. The network middleware countermeasure settings 332 are information in which parameter values ​​in the middleware 421 on the network 20 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0115] The edge cloud middleware countermeasure setting 333 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the middleware 431 on the edge cloud 30. The edge cloud middleware countermeasure setting 333 is information in which parameter values ​​in the middleware 431 on the edge cloud 30 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0116] The cloud middleware countermeasure settings 334 are setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the middleware 441 on the cloud 40. The cloud middleware countermeasure settings 334 are information in which parameter values ​​in the middleware 441 on the cloud 40 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0117] An example of an entry in the event / countermeasure table 310 may be, for example, event / countermeasure ID 311 = "1", event / countermeasure name 312 = "Avoid wasting network bandwidth by compressing data", event summary 313 = "The amount of data transferred per day exceeds 30 GB", and countermeasure summary 314 = "At the edge, data is compressed to approximately 1 / 10 its original size using Method A before being transferred".

[0118] At this time, settings 321 to 324 for operational measures by the basic services of the IoT platform to realize the contents of the event / measure ID 311, and settings 331 to 334 for measures against SLA violations by operation through the middleware are recorded in a basic service operation measures table 320 and a middleware operation measures table 330, respectively.

[0119] These edge basic service countermeasure settings 321 to cloud basic service countermeasure settings 324 and edge middleware countermeasure settings 331 to cloud middleware countermeasure settings 334 are manually created based on past SI knowledge in the initial stage. After that, the management device 100 may automatically generate them by performing machine learning or the like using the data that was created once.

[0120] The learning data serving as explanatory variables are, for example, parameters such as edge basic service setting 221 to cloud basic service setting 224 and edge middleware setting 231 to cloud middleware setting 234 corresponding to requirement ID 211 manually generated based on past SI knowledge. Since these data are set so as to achieve the target requirements, requirement name 212 to SLA 215, which are the requirements corresponding to requirement ID 211 in requirement definition table 210 indicating the target requirements of these data, become correct answer data (objective variables).

[0121] Furthermore, the management device 100 may register the results of new operations as a countermeasure when an SLA 215 violation occurs.

[0122] The application deployment countermeasure table 340 includes, for each requirement ID 211, an edge application deployment countermeasure setting 341, a network application deployment countermeasure setting 342, an edge cloud application deployment countermeasure setting 343, and a cloud application deployment countermeasure setting 344. In other words, the requirement ID 211 serves as a pointer to the application deployment countermeasure table 340.

[0123] The edge application deployment countermeasure setting 341 is setting information for taking measures against an SLA violation by changing and operating the application 412 on the edge 10. The edge application deployment countermeasure setting 341 is information in which parameter values ​​in the application 412 on the edge 10 are changed to deal with a problem that occurs after operation.

[0124] The network application deployment countermeasure setting 342 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the application 422 on the network 20. The network application deployment countermeasure setting 342 is information in which parameter values ​​in the application 422 on the network 20 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0125] The edge cloud application deployment countermeasure setting 343 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by changing and operating the application 432 on the edge cloud 30. The edge cloud application deployment countermeasure setting 343 is information in which parameter values ​​in the application 432 on the edge cloud 30 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0126] The cloud application deployment countermeasure setting 344 is setting information for taking measures against SLA violations by modifying and operating the application 442 on the cloud 40. The cloud application deployment countermeasure setting 344 is information in which parameter values ​​in the application 442 on the cloud 40 are changed to deal with problems that occur after operation.

[0127] By operating the system by changing the deployment of the application, settings 341 to 344 for taking measures against SLA violations are recorded in the basic service operation countermeasure table 320 and the application deployment countermeasure table 340, respectively.

[0128] As will be explained later in FIG. 6, these settings 321-324, 331-334, 341-344 may be created manually based on past SI knowledge in the initial stage, but the management device 100 may also automatically generate them by performing machine learning or the like using data that has already been created.

[0129] The learning data serving as explanatory variables are, for example, parameters such as edge basic service setting 221 to cloud basic service setting 224 and edge middleware setting 231 to cloud middleware setting 234 corresponding to requirement ID 211 manually generated based on past SI knowledge. Since these data are set so as to achieve the target requirements, requirement name 212 to SLA 215, which are the requirements corresponding to requirement ID 211 in requirement definition table 210 indicating the target requirements of these data, become correct answer data (objective variables).

[0130] In addition, when a violation of SLA 215 occurs, the management device 100 may register the results newly obtained in operation as countermeasures.

[0131] <Construction and operation management processing of IoT platform> FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the construction and operation management processing procedure of the IoT platform by the management device 100. The processing flow is divided into a construction phase, an operation phase, and an update phase. The vertical flow of steps S601, S602, S603, S605, and S606 in approximately the upper half of FIG. 6 is the construction phase.

[0132] Also, the flow of steps S620, S621, S622, S630, and S631 in approximately the lower half of FIG. 6 is the operation phase. Further, the flow of steps S610, S611, and S612 in FIG. 6, the flow of steps S613 and S640, S641, and S642, and a part of step S631 are the update phase. The update phase is executed as necessary during the construction phase and the operation phase. First, the construction phase will be described.

[0133] (Construction phase: Step S601) The management device 100 automatically or by the user's operation designates a case registered in the project database 150 in advance as a solution for automating and remote-controlling the target on-site work, and reads out the entry of the project ID 161 in the project table 160 of the designated case using the entry as a pointer. The entry of the case specified by the read project ID 161 is referred to as the target case.

[0134] (Construction phase: Step S602) The management device 100 searches the requirement definition table 210 of the construction database 200 for the entry of the requirement ID 211 included in the IoT platform construction requirements 166 of the target case read in step S601.

[0135] Here, in order to explain the search method of the construction database 200, it will be explained using FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0136] <Example of registration of requirement definition table 210> Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of registration of a requirement definition table 210 which is an entry of the construction database 200. For convenience, the requirement name 212 is omitted in Fig. 7.

[0137] An integer of 1 or more is used for the requirement ID 211.

[0138] The solution category 213 includes keywords that indicate specific solution types, such as "log collection and analysis," "predictive detection and abnormality detection," and "real-time video inspection using video."

[0139] The target scale / business type 214 includes the scale of the solution and the business content, such as "500 Bytes of data are collected from 50 F company devices X every 30 minutes in format C, and visualized on a basic dashboard screen" and "500 Bytes of data are collected from 50 F company devices X every 30 minutes in format C, and signs of abnormality or abnormalities are detected in manufactured products according to algorithm D. In addition, the state of the manufactured products during production on site is photographed." In this example, it is described as a sentence, but it may be described in the form of a list of keywords, etc. There are a large number of variations of these target character strings.

[0140] SLA215 specifically describes availability, performance, reliability, scalability, etc. For example, examples of availability include "uptime 99.999%," "uptime 99.9999%, "alternative communication secured," "alternative server secured," and "automatic service updates." Examples of performance include "best effort communication," "communication bandwidth 10Mbps," "data communication volume 1Tbyte / month," "data communication volume 0.5Tbyte / month," "video quality 4K," "RTT (round trip communication delay) 100ms or less," "RTT 50ms or less," "packet loss rate 0.1% or less," "computational resource type X," "computational resource type Y," and "storage 100Gbyte." There are a great many variations in the keywords that are the targets of these, as well as the numbers and quantities that indicate the requirements of the keywords.

[0141] <Example of the configuration of the requirements definition table 210> Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a requirements definition table 210. The requirements definition table 210 is configured by combining a solution system 213, a target scale / business type 214, and an SLA 215. For convenience, the requirements name 212 is omitted in Fig. 8.

[0142] For example, in the requirement definition table 210, the entry for requirement ID 211 = "1" includes solution type 213 = "log collection and analysis", target scale and business type 214 = "collect 500 Bytes of data from 50 pieces of F company's device X every 30 minutes in format C, and visualize on basic dashboard screen", and SLA 215 = "service availability rate 99.9999%, communication best effort, data communication amount 1 Tbyte / month or less". In addition, IoT platform construction requirement 166 that matches requirement ID 211 = "1" is recorded in basic service construction table 220, middleware construction table 230, and application deployment table 240.

[0143] Similarly, requirement ID 211 = "2" includes solution type 213 = "predictive detection / anomaly detection", target scale / business type 214 = "collect 500 Bytes of data from 50 F company devices X every 30 minutes in format C, and detect predictive anomaly or anomaly in manufactured products according to algorithm D. In addition, photograph the on-site manufactured product in-process state", and SLA 215 = "service uptime 99.9999%, communication best effort, data communication amount 0.5 Tbyte / month or less, video quality 4K". Also, IoT platform construction requirement 166 conforming to requirement ID 211 = "2" is recorded in basic service construction table 220, middleware construction table 230, and application deployment table 240.

[0144] In this manner, a plurality of entries in the requirement definition table 210 are represented. In searching the construction database 200, the management device 100 reads out these plurality of entries in order and checks whether or not an entry matching the case summary / SLA 165 in the case table 160 exists in the requirement definition table 210, the basic service construction table 220, the middleware construction table 230, and the application deployment table 240.

[0145] For example, the project overview for the target project, SLA165, is Project Overview · SLA165 = "Collect and analyze on-site logs to improve the QCD of the target factory (service availability rate 99.9999%, best effort communication, data traffic less than 1Tbyte / month), and perform early detection of product anomalies (service availability rate 99.9999%, best effort communication, data traffic less than 0.5Tbyte / month, video quality 4K)." In this case, the “Collection and analysis of on-site logs to achieve QCD improvement at the target factory” in the Project Outline · SLA165 of the target project matches the SLA215 = “Service availability rate 99.9999%, communication best effort, data communication volume 1Tbyte / month or less” in the entry with Requirement ID211 = “1”.

[0146] In addition, the “Early detection of product anomalies” in the project summary SLA165 of the target project matches the “SLA215 = “Service availability rate 99.9999%, communication best effort, data communication volume 0.5 Tbyte / month or less, video quality 4K” in the entry for Requirement ID211 = “2”.

[0147] (Construction phase: step S603) 6, when an entry that is an IoT platform construction requirement 166 is found in the requirement definition table 210 (step S603: Yes), the management device 100 organizes the IoT platform construction requirement 166. In other words, if the IoT platform construction requirement 166 corresponding to the target case has only one value of the requirement ID 211, the management device 100 uses the IoT platform construction requirement 166 as is. On the other hand, if the IoT platform construction requirement 166 corresponding to the target case has multiple values ​​of the requirement ID 211, the management device 100 organizes the IoT platform construction requirement 166 by listing two or more requirement ID 211 values ​​side by side, or by merging two or more entries identified by two or more requirement ID 211 values ​​and assigning a new value as the requirement ID 211.

[0148] Then, the management device 100 uses the requirement ID 211 of the IoT platform construction requirement 166 for constructing the IoT platform of the target case as a pointer to read out the relevant basic service settings 221-224 from the basic service construction table 220 and the relevant middleware settings 231-234 from the middleware construction table 230. Then, the management device 100 verifies in advance by using a simulation whether or not there is any problem in setting the relevant basic service settings 221-224 and middleware settings 231-234 in the IoT platform.

[0149] If the verification shows that there is no problem when setting the relevant basic service settings 221-224 and middleware settings 231-234 in the IoT platform, the verification fails (step S603: No), and the process proceeds to step S610. If the verification shows that there is no problem when setting the relevant basic service settings 221-224 and middleware settings 231-234 in the IoT platform, the verification is successful (step S603: Yes), and the process proceeds to step S613.

[0150] A specific example will be mentioned later in the IoT platform construction example using Figure 9, that is, the IoT platform construction example for the case where 'the target project is described above as follows: project ID 161 = "1", project name 162 = "QCD improvement at assembly plant", customer name 163 = "Company A", target area 164 = "District B, 100 m x 200 m manufacturing site", project summary / SLA 165 = "Collect and analyze on-site logs and detect abnormalities in products at an early stage in order to improve QCD at the target factory".

[0151] The example mentioned therein covers a case where the basic service settings 221 to 224 work well alone. For example, the use of a "type X computation instance" is mentioned therein, and as a simulation of running the corresponding application, the management device 100 checks whether the CPU processing speed, memory capacity, etc. are sufficient for the computation instance.

[0152] For example, you may want to check whether the app can complete the expected process within a certain amount of time. If the process can be completed, the verification of the IoT platform construction is successful. If there are cases where the process cannot be completed, it is a failure.

[0153] As for the middleware settings 231 to 234, for example, an example may be where middleware settings for transmitting robot arm control commands with low latency and high reliability between the edge 10 and the edge cloud 30 are set in the edge middleware settings 231 and the edge cloud middleware settings 233, respectively.

[0154] One method for implementing such middleware is, for example, to copy a packet into multiple copies at the source and multiplex it, and then pick up only the packet that arrives the fastest at the receiving end and discard the remaining packets that contain the same data. Since the number of copies of a packet is affected by the hardware and basic services (basic services 410 on the edge and basic services 430 on the edge cloud) of the edge 10 and the edge cloud 30, and the quality of the network 20 between them, it is necessary to select the number required to guarantee the target SLA. In this example, if a simulation shows that the SLA can be achieved with the registered number of packet copies, the verification of the construction of the IoT platform is successful. If there are cases where the processing cannot be completed, it is a failure.

[0155] (Step S613) The management device 100 updates the IoT platform construction requirement 166 in the case table 160 of the case database 150, and proceeds to step S605. Specifically, the requirement ID 211 organized in step S603 or the requirement ID 211 of the construction database 200 updated in step S612 is registered in the IoT platform construction requirement 166 in the case table 160.

[0156] Also, in step S603, if the requirement ID 211 corresponding to the IoT platform development requirement 166 is not found in the requirement definition table 210 (step S603: No), the process also proceeds to the update phase: step S610, as in the case of failed verification.

[0157] (Construction phase: step S605) The management device 100 constructs an IoT platform (a combination of edges 10, networks 20, edge clouds 30, and clouds 40) based on the basic service construction table 220 and the middleware construction table 230. Specifically, for example, the management device 100 constructs an IoT platform by applying the basic service settings 221-224 and middleware settings 231-234 of the requirement ID 211 included in the IoT platform construction requirement 166 of the target case to the corresponding edges 10, networks 20, edge clouds 30, and clouds 40. Then, the process proceeds to step S606.

[0158] (Construction phase: step S606) The management device 100 executes the deployment of the application based on the application deployment table 240. Specifically, for example, the management device 100 specifies the deployment destination of the application for executing the solution of the target case from the settings 241 to 244 of the application deployment table 240, and deploys the specified application to the specified deployment destination. Then, the process proceeds to step S607.

[0159] (Update phase: step S610) The management device 100 attempts to generate IoT platform construction requirements 166 using techniques such as machine learning, with reference to similar data (requirement name 212, solution system 213, target scale / business type 214, SLA 215, business overview 216) in an existing requirements definition table 210.

[0160] The learning data serving as explanatory variables are, for example, parameters such as edge basic service setting 221 to cloud basic service setting 224 and edge middleware setting 231 to cloud middleware setting 234 corresponding to requirement ID 211 manually generated based on past SI knowledge. Since these data are set so as to achieve the target requirements, requirement name 212 to SLA 215, which are the requirements corresponding to requirement ID 211 in requirement definition table 210 indicating the target requirements of these data, become correct answer data (objective variables).

[0161] If the IoT platform construction requirement 166 can be generated (step S610: Yes), the process proceeds to step S612. In this case, the management device 100 generates new entries in each of the requirement definition table 210, the basic service construction table 220, and the middleware construction table 230, and updates the construction database 200.

[0162] For example, consider a case where an IoT platform cannot be built using the data indicated by the existing requirement ID 211 in the construction database 200, but the requirements to be newly built are those that can be considered to be identical in the requirement name 212, solution system 213, SLA 215, and business overview 216 in the existing requirement definition table 210, and only the scale of the target scale / business type 214 is different.

[0163] A simple example is a case where the number of devices to be controlled by the edge 10 is increased from 10 to 20. In this case, it may be possible to apply the contents of the basic service construction table 220 and the middleware construction table 230 indicated by the existing corresponding requirement ID 211 by simply doubling the amount of communication resources and server resources, for example, among various settings. The management device 100 performs simulations in advance with multiple patterns to verify whether double is actually sufficient, whether less is sufficient, or whether more than double is necessary. The settings that are found to be problem-free as a result of the verification are used as the IoT platform construction requirements 166. The management device 100 performs calculations for these patterns using setting information such as realistic time and amount of calculations that are preset by the administrator, and if a simulation result that satisfies the problem-free settings is found as a result of the verification, the IoT platform construction requirements 166 can be generated.

[0164] If it is impossible to generate the IoT platform construction requirement 166 (step S610: No), the process proceeds to step S611. For example, if a satisfactory setting is not found in the setting information previously set by the administrator as a result of the verification using the simulation with a plurality of patterns as described above, the management device 100 determines that it is impossible to generate the IoT platform construction requirement 166.

[0165] (Update phase: step S611) The management device 100 receives the IoT platform construction requirements 166 created manually or by other means, and proceeds to step S612.

[0166] (Update phase: step S612) The management device 100 registers the generated or accepted IoT platform construction requirements 166 as new entries in the requirements definition table 210, the basic service construction table 220, and the middleware construction table 230, and updates the construction database 200. The update phase ends here. After step S612, the process moves to the construction phase (steps S613, S605, S606), where the project database 150 is updated, the IoT platform is constructed, and applications are deployed.

[0167] The above is the basic flow of the construction phase and the update phase within the construction phase. Next, the operation phase will be explained.

[0168] (Operation phase: Step S620) As the management device 100 completes the construction of the IoT platform and the deployment of the applications, it becomes possible to operate a solution that uses the IoT platform and applications to automate on-site work and provide remote support for the target project, and so on. Therefore, the management device 100 starts operating and monitoring the IoT platform and proceeds to step S621.

[0169] (Operation phase: step S621) Since the IoT platform is constructed based on one or more requirement IDs 211 for the case ID 161 of the target case, the management device 100 operates the IoT platform so as to satisfy the SLA 215 indicated in the SLA 215 based on the contents of the basic service construction table 220 and the middleware construction table 230 indicated by the requirement ID 211. Unless there is an SLA violation that cannot be handled (step S621: No), the process proceeds to step S622. If there is an SLA 215 violation indicated in the SLA 215 or if there is a possibility of an SLA 215 violation (step S621: Yes), the process proceeds to step S630.

[0170] An example of an SLA violation would be when a certain amount of communication (e.g., from once to 10 times in succession; the definition should have multiple variations and be one that is agreed upon with the system user) occurs with one-way communication latency exceeding 100 ms when SLA215 is set to "one-way communication latency between edge 10 and edge cloud 30 of 100 ms or less." Examples of cases where an SLA violation may occur include when, under normal conditions, one-way communication latency is steadily close to the threshold (e.g., 95 ms to 99 ms) and when, under those conditions, it momentarily exceeds the threshold only once, and so on.

[0171] (Operation phase: step S622) The management device 100 checks whether there is an additional application by referring to the case database 150. If there is no additional application (step S622: No), the process returns to step S620 again, and the management device 100 continues the operation and monitoring of the IoT platform.

[0172] If there is an additional application (step S622: Yes) and the application cannot be executed in a manner that satisfies the requirements on the constructed IoT platform, the process returns to step S602. In this case, the management device 100 repeats the construction phase to create an IoT platform that satisfies the application.

[0173] For example, when an additional application is added to the edge 10, if the basic services 410 on the edge 10, such as the computing instances, storage instances, and edge client software required for the execution of the application, and the middleware 411 on the edge 10 for the same are insufficient, the IoT platform does not meet the requirements for executing the added application, and the construction phase is repeatedly executed. Although the example of application deployment only to the edge 10 has been described, the same applies when the application is deployed to the network 20, edge cloud 30, and cloud 40.

[0174] Furthermore, if the additional application can be executed only by the basic service on edge 410 and middleware on edge 411 of the edge 10 that are included in the already-constructed IoT platform, an empty update is performed (no changes to numerical values, etc.), no specific new construction of the IoT platform is performed in step S605, and the corresponding application is deployed to the IoT platform in step S606. Although an example of application deployment only to the edge 10 has been described, the same applies when the application is deployed to the network 20, edge cloud 30, and cloud 40.

[0175] (Operation phase: Step S630) The management device 100 refers to one or more entries in the event / countermeasure table 310 of the operation database 300, and checks whether there is a countermeasure that satisfies the SLA 215. If there is a countermeasure that satisfies the SLA 215, the management device 100 uses a simulation to verify whether a problem will not occur even if the countermeasure that satisfies the SLA 215 is applied to the IoT platform.

[0176] If the verification result shows that no problem occurs even when the measures to comply with the SLA 215 are applied to the IoT platform, the verification is successful (step S630: Yes), and the process proceeds to step S631.

[0177] If the verification result shows that a problem occurs even when the measures to comply with the SLA 215 are applied to the IoT platform, the verification fails (step S630: No), and the process proceeds to step S640 as the update phase.

[0178] (Operation phase: step S631) The management device 100 sets measures for each layer of the IoT platform according to the contents of the basic service operation measures table 320 and the middleware operation measures table 330 indicated by the event / measure ID 311 in the event / measure table 310 in the operation database 300 .

[0179] Specifically, for example, the management device 100 changes the entries of the basic service construction table 220, the middleware construction table 230, and the application deployment table 240 of the IoT platform construction requirement 166 in the target case to the entries of the basic service operation measures table 320, the middleware operation measures table 330, and the application deployment measures table 340 for measures to comply with the SLA 215 as a result of the verification. Then, the management device 100 reconstructs the IoT platform and redeploys the application according to the change result. This resolves the SLA 215 violation state.

[0180] (Update phase: step S640) The management device 100 attempts to generate countermeasures (event / countermeasure name 312, event summary 313, countermeasure summary 314) using a technique such as machine learning with reference to similar entries in the existing event / countermeasure table 310. The generation of countermeasures is performed in the same manner as the generation of the IoT platform construction requirements 166 in step S610.

[0181] The learning data serving as explanatory variables are, for example, parameters such as edge basic service countermeasure setting 321 to cloud basic service countermeasure setting 324 and edge middleware countermeasure setting 331 to cloud middleware countermeasure setting 334 corresponding to event / countermeasure ID 311 manually generated based on past SI knowledge. Since these data are set so as to achieve the target countermeasure, event / countermeasure name 312 to countermeasure summary 314, which are the requirements corresponding to the event / countermeasure ID 311 in event / countermeasure table 310 indicating the countermeasure requirements of these data, become correct answer data (objective variables).

[0182] If countermeasures cannot be generated (step S640: No), the process proceeds to step S641. If countermeasures can be generated (step S640: Yes), the process proceeds to step S642.

[0183] (Update phase: step S641) The management device 100 receives the countermeasure created manually or by other means, and proceeds to step S641.

[0184] (Update phase: step S642) The management device 100 registers the generated or accepted IoT platform construction requirements 166 in the requirements definition table 210, basic service construction table 220, and middleware construction table 230, and updates the construction database 200. The management device 100 also registers the generated or accepted measures in the event / countermeasure table 310, basic service operation countermeasure table 320, and middleware operation countermeasure table 330, and updates the operation database 300. This ends the update phase. After step S612, the process moves to the construction phase (steps S613, S605, S606), where the project database 150 is updated, the IoT platform is constructed, and applications are deployed.

[0185] In addition, the IoT platform construction requirements 166 of the target case also need to be corrected with the update. Therefore, in step S631, the management device 100 updates the necessary fields in the case table 160 of the target case. For example, in the IoT platform construction requirements 166, new fields for the new operation countermeasures this time may be added as necessary fields for the IoT platform construction requirements 166. The case name 162 to the case summary·SLA 165 may be updated as necessary fields. Then, in step S631, the management device 100 executes countermeasures against the IoT platform. Thereby, the update phase ends.

[0186] The above is the basic flow of the operation phase. Based on the processing flow shown in FIG. 6, an example of IoT platform construction is shown.

[0187] <Example of IoT Platform Construction> FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of IoT platform construction. The IoT platform construction example shown in FIG. 9 is an example of IoT platform construction in the case where the case ID 161 = "1", the case name 162 = "QCD improvement of the assembly factory", the customer name 163 = "Company A", the target area 164 = "Area B, manufacturing site of 100m × 200m", and the case summary·SLA 165 = "Collect and analyze on-site logs to realize QCD improvement of the target factory, and detect manufacturing product abnormalities at an early stage", which were described above as the target case.

[0188] In this example, assume that the IoT platform construction requirements 166 are composed of two parts: log collection·analysis and early detection of manufacturing product abnormalities, and are registered as requirement ID 211 = "1" and requirement ID 211 = "2" in the construction database 200, respectively.

[0189] For example, requirement ID 211 = "1" identifies entries such as requirement name 212 = "log collection, analysis, and visualization of field work", solution type 213 = "log collection and analysis", target scale / business type 214 = "collect 500 bytes of data from 50 units of F company's device X every 30 minutes, align it to format C, and visualize on the basic dashboard screen", SLA 215 = "service uptime 99.9999%, best effort, data communication volume 1 Tbyte / month or less", and business overview = "understand the operating status and productivity of equipment at the manufacturing site", as shown in the input example of requirement definition table 210.

[0190] Requirement ID 211 = "2" identifies an entry such as, for example, requirement name 212 = "Early detection of abnormalities in products on site", solution type 213 = "predictive detection / anomaly detection", target scale / business type 214 = "Collect 500 Bytes of data in format C from 50 units of F company's device X every 30 minutes, and detect predictive abnormalities or anomalies in products according to algorithm D. In addition, photograph the on-site product in-progress during production", SLA 215 = "Service uptime 99.9999%, best effort, data communication amount 0.5 Tbyte / month or less, video quality 4K", and business overview = "Early detection of abnormalities in products on site at manufacturing sites".

[0191] In addition, as operational measures that can be used to comply with the SLA 215 group, entries such as event / measure ID 311 = "1", event / measure name 312 = "Avoid wasting network bandwidth by compressing data", event summary 313 = "Amount of data transferred per day exceeds 30 GB", and measure summary 314 = "Compress data at the edge using Method A to approximately 1 / 10 its original size before transferring it" are registered in operation database 300, as shown in the example of an entry in event / measure table 310.

[0192] Further, in the case table 160 of the case database 150, the IoT platform construction requirement 166 = "requirement ID 211 of construction database 200 = '1 and 2'" is recorded.

[0193] In this case, by constructing the management system 1 shown in Fig. 6, an IoT platform is constructed as shown in Fig. 9. The parts indicated by bold frames, bold characters, and arrows indicate that settings have been made by the management device 100.

[0194] In other words, a control gateway is used for the edge 10, and “Type X computation instance, edge client software” is set as the basic service 410 on the edge 10, “communication control middleware that compresses data for transfer” is registered in the corresponding edge basic service setting 221 as the middleware 411 on the edge, and “log collection, predictive diagnosis, data analysis” is registered in the corresponding edge application deployment setting 241 as the application 412 on the edge.

[0195] In addition, network 20 uses the 5G network of telecommunications carrier A, and indicates that the "1.5 Tbyte data communication service per month" registered in the corresponding network basic service setting 222 has been set as the basic service 420 on network 20.

[0196] It also shows that the edge cloud 30 is not used by anyone and nothing is configured.

[0197] In addition, cloud 40 uses the cloud service of cloud provider B, and the “Type Y computation instance, data collection instance, storage instance, format conversion instance, analysis instance, and edge client management software” registered in the corresponding cloud basic service settings 224 are set as basic services 440 on cloud 40, and the “visualization software” registered in the corresponding cloud application deployment settings 244 is set as application 442 on cloud 40.

[0198] After the IoT platform is constructed, operation starts from step S621 in Fig. 6. If there is no change in the field environment that the edge 10 deals with, steps S621, S622, and S620 are repeated, and the IoT solution indicated by the case ID 161="1" is stably operated on the IoT platform.

[0199] On the other hand, as an example of an unstable case, consider a case where the accuracy of the abnormality prediction of the on-site product is more sensitive than expected due to the setting of the requirement ID 211 = "2". In this case, since 4K video is frequently transmitted to the cloud 40, there is a possibility that the SLA 215 cannot be satisfied even if the data for transmission is compressed. For example, if the 4K quality is not reduced, some data may be lost or may not be able to be retransmitted. In this case, the state changes from step S621 to step S630 in FIG. 6.

[0200] At this time, if the operation database 300 has an entry indicating the following event and countermeasure, for example, this problem can be solved.

[0201] Event / countermeasure ID 311 = "3", event / countermeasure name 312 = "Data transmission loss / selective communication bandwidth allocation without increasing the contracted communication volume upper limit", event summary 313 = "Data transmission loss due to insufficient communication bandwidth", countermeasure summary 314 = "Allocate communication bandwidth to selected device and at selected timing without increasing the contracted communication volume upper limit", basic service operation countermeasure table 320 for event / countermeasure ID 311 = "No additional settings", middleware operation countermeasure table 330 = "Edge middleware countermeasure setting 331 = "Concentrated bandwidth allocation at selected device and selected timing", application deployment countermeasure table 340 = "No additional settings"

[0202] Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the state after the IoT platform is set up. Fig. 10 shows the state after the IoT platform is set up when the above-mentioned events and countermeasures are implemented. The block of middleware 411 on the edge indicated by bold text, a bold frame, and an arrow is the part where the change was implemented. Based on this countermeasure status, in accordance with step S631 in Fig. 6, the management device 100 updates the IoT platform construction requirement 166 in the case table 160 of the case database 150 and implements the countermeasure.

[0203] Next, a case where after the above situation, a solution for automatic in-line inspection of the manufacturing line is to be added to the manufacturing site will be described. In this case, for example, in the case table 160, the case summary·SLA165="Collect and analyze on-site logs and detect product anomalies early to realize QCD improvement of the target factory" of the already registered case ID 161="1" is changed to case summary·SLA165="Collect and analyze on-site logs and detect product anomalies early to realize QCD improvement of the target factory. Also, perform automatic in-line inspection of the manufacturing line at the manufacturing site."

[0204] 6 again, and checks through steps S602 and S603 whether the corresponding IoT platform construction requirement 166 exists in the construction database 200. Here, it is assumed that the IoT platform construction requirement 166 is found with requirement ID 211="12" in the requirement definition table 210 based on past construction and operation results.

[0205] For example, one example of the registration is as follows: Requirement name 212 = "MEC-utilized automatic in-line inspection for on-site manufacturing lines", Solution system 213 = "Video-utilized real-time video inspection", Target scale and business type 214 = "At 10 intermediate points on the manufacturing line, transfer the appearance of the manufactured product to the MEC in 4K video, analyze for abnormalities, and if there is an abnormality, control the robotic arm to move the object from the manufacturing line to the defective product line", SLA 215 = "Service operation rate 99.9999%, delay within 100 ms from video acquisition / analysis to robotic arm control, data traffic 1 Tbyte / month or less", Business overview = "Automatic in-line inspection at the manufacturing site".

[0206] As a result of the pre-verification for applying the content of Requirement ID 211 = "12" to the IoT platform, if there is no problem in applying it to the IoT platform (Step S603: Yes), according to the content of the basic service construction table 220 and the middleware construction table 230 corresponding to Requirement ID 211 = "12", the construction settings corresponding to each layer of the IoT platform are applied.

[0207] <Application status of construction settings corresponding to each layer of the IoT platform> FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the application status of the construction settings corresponding to each layer of the IoT platform. In FIG. 11, the differences from FIG. 10 are shown in bold characters, thick frames, and arrows. Specifically, at the site, robotic arms are added as IoT devices N413-N.

[0208] Also, at the control gateway of Edge 10, the arithmetic instance of the basic service 410 on Edge 10 is changed from type X to type Y. Also, middleware for receiving robotic arm control commands with low latency and high reliability is added to the middleware 411 on Edge 10. Also, an application for automatic in-line inspection is added to the application 412 on Edge 10.

[0209] An edge cloud of a telecommunications carrier A is used as the edge cloud 30, and a type Z computation instance and edge client management software are added to the basic service 430 on the edge cloud 30. Also, middleware that enables low-latency and high-reliability transmission of robot arm control commands that are paired with the edge 10 is added to the middleware 431 on the edge cloud 30. Applications for video analysis and robot arm control are added to the application 432 on the edge cloud 30.

[0210] The management system 1 for constructing and operating an IoT platform has been described above using specific examples. According to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a means for automatically constructing an IoT platform environment for operating various solutions for improving and transforming work at work sites in various fields such as manufacturing, logistics, railways, transportation, and electricity, and a means for automatically and stably operating the IoT platform environment. It is also possible to provide a means for automating the growth of the IoT platform environment itself, which supports the expansion of solutions. EXAMPLES

[0211] In the second embodiment, a difference will be described in a case where the IoT platform to be applied is a configuration other than the edge 10, the network 20, the edge cloud 30, and the cloud 40 shown in Fig. 1. Specifically, there are two variations.

[0212] The first variation is a configuration in which the edge cloud 30 is regarded as a part of the cloud 40 or is treated as not existing. In this case, the edge cloud basic service setting 223 and the edge cloud middleware setting 233 shown in Fig. 4, and the edge cloud basic service countermeasure setting 323 and the edge cloud middleware countermeasure setting 333 shown in Fig. 5 do not exist.

[0213] These may be treated as being integrated into the cloud basic service settings 224 and cloud middleware settings 234 shown in FIG. 4, and the cloud basic service countermeasure settings 324 and cloud middleware countermeasure settings 334 shown in FIG.

[0214] The second variation is a case where the cloud 40 or edge cloud 30 is not used, and everything is handled solely by the edge 10. Since there are often multiple devices inside the edge 10, the network 20 is used to connect the multiple devices inside the edge 10. In this case, the edge cloud basic service setting 223, edge cloud middleware setting 233, cloud basic service setting 224, and cloud middleware setting 234 shown in Fig. 4, and the edge cloud basic service countermeasure setting 323, edge cloud middleware countermeasure setting 333, cloud basic service countermeasure setting 324, and cloud middleware countermeasure setting 334 shown in Fig. 5 do not exist.

[0215] In any of the variations, the other process flow and configuration may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0216] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a means for automatically constructing an IoT platform environment for operating various solutions for improving and reforming work at work sites in various fields such as manufacturing, logistics, railways, transportation, and electricity, and a means for automatically and stably operating the environment. It is also possible to provide a means for automating the growth of the IoT platform environment itself that supports the expansion of the solutions. EXAMPLES

[0217] In the third embodiment, a case will be described in which the operation database 300 is included in the construction database 200. In the third embodiment, an independent operation database 300 is not used, and the setting contents corresponding to each table of the operation database 300 are included in each table of the construction database 200.

[0218] Specifically, in the example of registration of requirements definition table 210 shown in FIG. 8, information combining “target scale / business type 214” and “SLA 215” is described in more detail than in the example of FIG. 8, and the corresponding construction requirements are recorded in basic service construction table 220, middleware construction table 230, and application deployment table 240.

[0219] 6, if there is or may be a violation that cannot satisfy SLA215 (step S621: Yes), the process proceeds to step S630, in which management device 100 refers to construction database 200 instead of operation database 300. Then, management device 100 searches requirement definition table 210 for an entry that can satisfy SLA215 for the currently occurring event.

[0220] If an entry that satisfies SLA215 is found in any of Figures 8, which is described in more detail than the case in Example 1 (step S630: Yes), the management device 100 reconstructs the IoT platform using the basic service construction table 220 and middleware construction table 230 indicated by the corresponding entry, and redeploys the application to the location described in the application deployment table 240, thereby resolving the violation of SLA215 (step S631).

[0221] If an entry satisfying SLA215 is not found in any of the entries in FIG. 8, which is described in more detail than the case in Example 1 (step S630: No), the process proceeds to step S640, but in steps 540, 541, and 542, it is the construction database 200 that is updated, not the operational database 300.

[0222] In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a means for automatically constructing an IoT platform environment for operating various solutions for improving and reforming work at work sites in various fields such as manufacturing, logistics, railways, transportation, and electricity, and a means for automatically and stably operating the IoT platform environment. It is also possible to provide a means for automating the growth of the IoT platform environment itself that supports the expansion of the solutions.

[0223] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with a configuration of another embodiment. Also, a configuration of another embodiment may be added to a configuration of one embodiment. Also, a part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with another configuration.

[0224] Furthermore, each of the aforementioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware, for example by designing some or all of them as an integrated circuit, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

[0225] Information such as programs, tables, files, etc. that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, an SD card, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0226] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0227] 1 Management System 10. Edge 20 Network 30 Edge Cloud 40 Cloud 100 Management device 110 Requirements Interpretation Department 112 Configuration Verification Unit 113 Construction Settings Section 114 D1, D2 update section 120 Application Deployment Section 121 Operation Monitoring Department 122 Operational Settings Verification Department 123 Operation Settings Department 124 D3 Update Division 150 projects database 160 Case Table 200 Building Database 210 Requirements definition table 220 Basic Service Construction Table 300 Operational Database 310 Event / Countermeasure Table 320 Basic Service Operation Measures Table 330 Middleware Operation Countermeasures Table 340 Application Deployment Countermeasures Table

Claims

1. A management program that causes a processor to execute construction of a platform consisting of multiple computing tiers, The processor, an acquisition process for acquiring a target object including platform construction requirements that define construction of the computing tier and deployment of applications to the computing tier to realize a solution; a first determination process for determining whether the platform configuration requirements included in the target case acquired by the acquisition process correspond to a requirement definition of the computing hierarchy; a first simulation process for executing a first simulation to verify whether the solution is feasible based on the configuration requirements of the platform when the first determination process determines that the configuration requirements of the platform correspond to the requirements definition of the computing hierarchy; a first construction process for constructing the computing hierarchy according to the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; a first deployment process for deploying the application on the computing tier according to the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; A management program for causing the user to execute the above steps.

2. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The plurality of computing tiers are composed of an edge, a network connected to the edge, and a cloud connected to the network. A management program comprising:

3. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The platform construction requirements include parameters related to the hardware of the computing tier; the requirement definition of the computing hierarchy includes parameters related to the hardware to be set for implementing the solution on the hardware of the computing hierarchy; A management program comprising:

4. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The platform construction requirements include parameters related to middleware of the computing tier; the requirement definition of the computing hierarchy includes parameters related to the middleware that are set in the middleware of the computing hierarchy to realize the solution; A management program comprising:

5. 2. The management program according to claim 1, said platform construction requirements including information defining applications for said computing tier; a requirement definition for the computing tier including information defining the applications to be deployed in the computing tier to realize the solution; A management program comprising:

6. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The processor, executing a first update process for updating the requirements definition of the computing hierarchy so as to conform to the platform configuration requirements, when the first determination process determines that the platform configuration requirements do not correspond to the requirements definition of the computing hierarchy; A management program comprising:

7. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The processor, executing a first update process for updating a requirement definition of the computing hierarchy so as to conform to the platform configuration requirements if the solution is not feasible by the first simulation process; A management program comprising:

8. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The processor, A monitoring process for monitoring whether the platform is being operated in violation of a predetermined operating condition based on the platform construction requirements; a second determination process for determining whether or not a group of measures for complying with the predetermined operating conditions includes a measure for the violation of the predetermined operating conditions when the monitoring process determines that the platform is being operated in violation of the predetermined operating conditions; a second simulation process for executing a second simulation to verify whether the solution is feasible when the platform is modified based on the countermeasure, when the second determination process determines that there is a countermeasure for the violation of the predetermined operational condition; a second construction process for reconstructing the computing hierarchy based on the measures if the second simulation process determines that the solution is feasible; A management program for causing the user to execute the above steps.

9. 2. The management program according to claim 1, The processor, A monitoring process for monitoring whether the platform is being operated in violation of a predetermined operating condition based on the platform construction requirements; a second determination process for determining whether or not a group of measures that comply with the predetermined operating conditions includes a measure for the violation of the predetermined operating conditions when the monitoring process determines that the operation of the platform violates the predetermined operating conditions; a second simulation process for executing a second simulation to verify whether the solution is feasible when the platform is modified based on the countermeasure, when the second determination process determines that there is a countermeasure for the violation of the predetermined operational condition; a second deployment process for deploying the application specified by the measure in the computing tier if the solution is feasible by the second simulation process; A management program for causing the user to execute the above steps.

10. The management program according to claim 8, The processor, executing a second update process for updating the requirements definition of the computing hierarchy and the measures so as to conform to the platform configuration requirements when it is determined by the second determination process that there are no measures to address the violation of the predetermined operational conditions; A management program comprising:

11. The management program according to claim 8, The processor, executing a second update process for updating a requirement definition of the computing hierarchy and the measures so as to conform to the platform configuration requirements when the second simulation process indicates that the solution is not feasible; A management program comprising:

12. The management program according to claim 8, The processor, if the monitoring process determines that operation of the platform complies with the predetermined operating conditions, executing a verification process to verify whether other applications have been added to the computing hierarchy; when the other application is added to the computing tier by the confirmation process, re-executing the first determination process, the first simulation process, the first construction process, and the first deployment process; A management program comprising:

13. 1. A management method for implementing a construction of a platform consisting of multiple computing tiers, comprising: The processor: an acquisition process for acquiring a target object including platform construction requirements that define construction of the computing tier and deployment of applications to the computing tier to realize a solution; a first determination process for determining whether the platform configuration requirements included in the target case acquired by the acquisition process correspond to a requirement definition of the computing hierarchy; a first simulation process for executing a first simulation to verify whether the solution is feasible based on the configuration requirements of the platform when the first determination process determines that the configuration requirements of the platform correspond to the requirements definition of the computing hierarchy; a first construction process for constructing the computing hierarchy according to the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; a first deployment process for deploying the application on the computing tier according to the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; A management method comprising the steps of:

14. A management device that executes a platform consisting of a plurality of computing tiers, the management device having a processor that executes a program and a storage device that stores the program, the management device comprising: The processor, an acquisition process for acquiring a target object including platform construction requirements that define construction of the computing tier and deployment of applications to the computing tier to realize a solution; a first determination process for determining whether the platform configuration requirements included in the target case acquired by the acquisition process correspond to a requirement definition of the computing hierarchy; a first simulation process for executing a first simulation to verify whether the solution is feasible based on the configuration requirements of the platform when the first determination process determines that the configuration requirements of the platform correspond to the requirements definition of the computing hierarchy; a first construction process for constructing the computing hierarchy according to the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; a first deployment process for deploying the application on the computing tier according to the platform construction requirements if the solution is feasible by the first simulation process; A management device that executes the above.

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