Container device and system for containerized application management, and related product

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a container device and system for containerized application management, and a related product. The container device comprises: a container configured with a master controller and at least one intra-container application, wherein the master controller is used for coordinating communication between the intra-container application and an external application on a host system and operation; a container engine for creating, on the host system, a virtual environment supporting the execution of the intra-container application; and a replication controller for managing an instruction from the master controller in the container and coordinating interaction between the container and the external application on the host system. The solution of the present disclosure can achieve efficient management of the intra-container application, optimize task scheduling and resource utilization, and ensure smooth communication with the host system and the external application thereof and coordinate operation.

Description

Container devices, systems, and related products for containerized application management CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed on December 29, 2023, with application number 202311863334.7 and titled “Container devices, systems and related products for containerized application management”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of software application technology. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a container device, system, electronic device, electronic apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for containerized application management. Background Art

[0003] In the existing technology field, multi-platform deployment of software faces significant challenges. Due to the diversity of operating systems and hardware environments, a single software needs to be independently compiled and tested for different platforms. This process not only increases the workload, but also reduces efficiency and leads to the consumption of a large amount of resources and time. At the same time, although existing container systems such as Docker perform well in terms of isolation and portability, they are mostly designed as self-sufficient environments and have difficulty interacting effectively with external third-party tools, thus limiting compatibility with existing tools or processes. In addition, these systems lack mechanisms to effectively distribute and manage external threads or machine work in distributed computing environments. The shortcomings of existing technologies are particularly prominent when dealing with complex workflows involving multiple software or tools, especially in large-scale commercial applications with high reliability requirements. These systems often have difficulty in effectively recovering from failures, errors, or lost connections.

[0004] In view of this, there is an urgent need to provide a container system solution to improve the efficiency and flexibility of software deployment, while enhancing the stability and interaction capabilities of the containerized environment in complex distributed systems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to at least solve one or more of the technical problems mentioned above, the present disclosure proposes a solution for containerized application management in multiple aspects.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a container device for containerized application management. The device includes a container equipped with a main controller and at least one application within the container. The main controller is configured to coordinate communication and operations between the application within the container and external applications on a host system; a container engine is configured to create a virtualized environment on the host system that supports the execution of the application within the container; and a replication controller is configured to manage instructions from the main controller within the container and coordinate interactions between the container and external applications on the host system.

[0007] In some embodiments, the main controller is further configured to schedule tasks of the application within the container based on task priority and / or resource availability.

[0008] In some embodiments, the replication controller is further configured to pass the task request received from the master controller to an application on the host system so as to execute the task.

[0009] In some embodiments, the replication controller is further configured to monitor the status of external applications on the host system and report to the master controller.

[0010] In some embodiments, the master controller is further configured to communicate with the replica controller using a message protocol.

[0011] In some embodiments, the communication channel between the master controller and the replica controller is a first-in-first-out (FIFO) channel based on a pipeline mechanism.

[0012] In some embodiments, the replication controller is further configured to run on a host system in the form of a daemon process to monitor communications from the master controller in real time.

[0013] In some embodiments, the container further includes a task manager for determining a queue of tasks and allocating tasks based on task priority, resource availability, concurrency, and / or dependencies.

[0014] In some embodiments, the task manager further includes a backend database for tracking and management of the tasks to enable recovery or retry of the tasks when connectivity is lost or fails.

[0015] In some embodiments, the task manager is further configured to allocate the task to an application within the container or an external application for execution through the master controller and the replication controller.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for containerized application management, comprising: at least two containers, wherein each container is equipped with its own main controller and at least one in-container application, wherein the main controller is used to coordinate the communication and operation between the in-container application and the external application on the host system; a task manager, which is provided in at least one of the containers and is used to schedule cross-container tasks through the main controller; a container engine, which is used to create a virtualization environment on the host operating system that supports the execution of the at least two in-container applications; and an application programming interface, which is respectively provided at the at least two containers to realize cross-container communication.

[0017] In some embodiments, the main controller is further configured to implement cross-container communication based on a network protocol.

[0018] In some embodiments, the application programming interface is further configured to listen for cross-container communications through a specific port and use a unique application programming interface key to ensure the security of cross-container communications.

[0019] In some embodiments, a replication controller is further included, which is used to manage instructions from the main controller in the container and coordinate the interaction between the container and external applications on the host system.

[0020] In some embodiments, the replication controller is further configured to monitor the status of external applications on the host system and report to the master controller.

[0021] In some embodiments, the task manager is further configured to determine a queue of tasks and allocate tasks based on task priority, resource availability, concurrency, and / or dependencies.

[0022] In some embodiments, the task manager further includes a backend database for tracking and management of the tasks to enable recovery or retry of the tasks when connectivity is lost or fails.

[0023] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device for containerized application management, comprising: a host system; and a container device for containerized application management according to the first aspect or a system for containerized application management according to the second aspect.

[0024] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device for containerized application management, comprising: a processor; and a memory on which program code for implementing containerization is stored, and when the program code is executed by the processor, the operation of the container device described in the first aspect is implemented, or the system described in any one of the second aspects is implemented.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program code for implementing containerization, wherein when the program code is executed by the processor, the operation of the container device for containerized application management according to any one of the first aspects is implemented, or the system for containerized application management according to any one of the second aspects is implemented.

[0026] According to the container device, system, electronic device, electronic apparatus and computer-readable storage medium provided above, the embodiments of the present disclosure can optimize task scheduling and resource utilization by providing efficient in-container and cross-container application management. In particular, the present invention implements single multi-platform software deployment and builds a robust containerized system by using the task management system built into the container system and communication and control with external applications. Further, in some embodiments, the solution of the present disclosure can improve the stability and responsiveness of the system through advanced communication and monitoring mechanisms. Specifically, the application in the container is enabled through the master controller and the replication controller to call, communicate, control or stop the application on the host system. Such a setting allows the application on the host system to also be part of the resource management system, thereby providing more flexible operation and management.

[0027] Furthermore, in some embodiments, through an integrated task manager and back-end database, effective tracking and management of tasks can be achieved, as well as enabling recovery or retry of tasks when the connection is lost or fails. For example, the task manager disclosed herein can be used to prioritize tasks, act as an agent and assign tasks, and automatically retry tasks when the connection is lost or fails. Through such a setting, powerful fault tolerance and recovery capabilities can be provided for the container system, especially in complex processes that may involve multiple software or tools and have different dependencies and control requirements. In some embodiments, the data security and privacy protection of the system can be ensured by adopting a secure cross-container communication protocol and API (Application Programming Interface Key) key. For example, an enhanced version of cross-container task control allows a task manager in one container to call, control or stop an application in another container through the main controller. This cross-container communication uses a reserved specific port to achieve network connection and uses a unique API key to achieve communication security. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily understood by reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, and the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0029] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating configuration of a container on a host machine and hardware in the prior art;

[0030] FIG2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a container system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG3 is an exemplary structural block diagram illustrating another container system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a container device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0033] FIG5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a container system for implementing inter-container interaction according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this disclosure, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0035] It should be understood that the terms “include” and “comprising” used in the specification and claims of the present disclosure indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0036] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in this disclosure and the claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, including and including these combinations.

[0037] As used in this specification and claims, the term "if" can be interpreted as "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" can be interpreted as meaning "upon determination" or "in response to determining" or "upon detection of [described condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]," depending on the context.

[0038] As described in the background technology, container systems or solutions in current existing technologies have various problems, including the need to compile and quality-assurance a single software multiple times to adapt to different platforms, self-contained systems that are difficult to interact with external third-party tools, a lack of mechanisms to use external threads or machines to allocate and manage work, and the need for different dependencies and controls on multiple software or tools in complex processes, which do not have a robust system that can recover from failures, errors, or loss of connections.

[0039] To address the aforementioned issues, the disclosed solution proposes a container system with a built-in task manager that can communicate and control external applications. The disclosed technical solution implements a single, multi-platform software deployment and a powerful container system that can interact with external applications or other container systems and recover from failures, errors, or lost connections. This solution effectively overcomes the limitations of existing technologies, improves the overall efficiency and reliability of the system, and ensures smooth collaboration and communication between applications inside and outside the container.

[0040] The specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a container on a host machine and hardware in the prior art. As shown in Figure 1, it specifically illustrates the traditional containerization setup or deployment in the prior art. In terms of the host machine, the containerization deployment consists of hardware 101, a host operating system (Host O / S) 102, applications 103 and 104, a container engine 105, and a runtime container 106. Among them, the container 106 includes binary files and libraries (Bins & Libs) 107, which are required for the applications 108 and 109 in the container. In some scenarios, the binary files and libraries 107 can provide the necessary code and data so that the applications 108 and 109 can perform their intended functions in the container environment. For example, these binary files and libraries can include various tools, libraries, and support files, which together constitute the runtime environment required by the application. In some configurations, the binary files and libraries 107 in the container can be based on an operating system different from the host operating system 102 or a different version of the operating system.

[0042] In this typical containerized system, applications 108 and 109 within the container can communicate with existing applications 103 and 104 outside the container over the network. However, applications 108 and 109 within the container cannot call, control, or stop applications 103 and 104 outside the container. This limitation highlights a key shortcoming in the existing technology: in traditional containerized settings, applications within the container cannot effectively and fully interact with the host system and its external applications. This limits the effectiveness and flexibility of containerized applications in cross-platform operations and complex workflows.

[0043] Figure 2 is an exemplary structural block diagram of a container system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the enhanced containerization setting includes a container device for containerized application management according to the present disclosure. The container device may include a container 206, which is equipped with a main controller 210 and at least one in-container application (such as application 208 or 209). The main controller 210 is used to coordinate the communication and operation between the in-container application and the external applications 203 and 204 on the host system. Further, the container device may also include a container engine 205, which is used to create a virtualized environment on the host operating system (such as Host O / S) 202 that supports the execution of the in-container application. In addition, the container device may also include a replication controller 211, which is used to manage instructions from the main controller 210 and coordinate the interaction between the container 206 and the external applications 203 and 204 on the host system.

[0044] In the exemplary configuration shown in FIG2 , the replication controller 211 can be deployed on the host operating system 202 and used to pass task requests received from the main controller 210 to the applications 203 and 204 on the host system so as to execute tasks and monitor the status of external applications on the host system, and report to the main controller 210 according to the settings. In some embodiments, the main controller 210 can be configured to communicate with the replication controller 211 using a message protocol, and the communication channel between the two is a first-in-first-out (FIFO) channel based on a pipe mechanism. Furthermore, the replication controller 211 can run on the host system in the form of a daemon process to monitor communications from the main controller 210 in real time. Such a configuration allows applications within the container to interact more extensively and deeply with applications on the host system, thereby improving the versatility and flexibility of the container system and expanding the functional scope and application scenarios of the container system.

[0045] FIG3 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating another container system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3 , the container architecture is further expanded on the basis of the enhanced containerization setting shown in FIG2 . Specifically, in addition to including applications 308 and 309, and binary files and libraries (Bins / Libs) 307, container 306 also includes a task manager 312. In some implementation scenarios, the task manager 312 here can also be used to determine the queue and assign tasks based on task priority, resource availability, concurrency and / or dependencies. Further, the task manager 312 can also be used to prioritize tasks, act as an agent and assign tasks, and can also automatically retry tasks when a connection is lost or fails. Additionally or optionally, the task manager 312 can also include a backend database for task tracking and management to enable task recovery or retry when a connection is lost or fails. When assigning tasks, the task manager 312 can assign tasks to applications 308 and 309 within the container 306 or external applications for execution through the master controller 310 and the replication controller 311.

[0046] In the configuration shown in Figure 3, master controller 310 and replication controller 311 maintain the same functionality as shown in Figure 2, enabling applications 308 and 309 within container 306 to call, communicate, control, or stop applications 303 and 304 on the host system. This arrangement allows applications on the host system to also be part of the resource management object, providing more flexible operation and management. Furthermore, the arrangement and layout of the container system shown in Figure 3 can effectively improve the performance of the container platform in complex task processing and resource optimization, while also enhancing the system's resilience to task failures or connection interruptions.

[0047] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a container device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4 , the container device includes a task manager 312, a master controller 310, and a replication controller 311, which are the three units (or components) of the container system described above in conjunction with Figure 3 . Therefore, the description of task manager 312, master controller 310, and replication controller 311 above in conjunction with Figure 3 also applies to the following description. The following example illustrates how the task manager, master controller, and replication controller in the present disclosure collaborate to manage and distribute tasks within a container.

[0048] First, the task manager receives tasks and schedules them based on factors such as resource availability, application requirements, and priority. For example, as shown in the figure, the task manager receives three tasks: two tasks A and B for application APP1, and one task C for the resource-intensive application APP2. Because APP1 is lightweight, tasks A and B can be executed within the container device, for example, by the master controller 310. However, APP2, due to its memory and CPU intensiveness, cannot be executed within the current container. Therefore, task C needs to be processed by the replication controller.

[0049] The master controller serves as the communication hub between the task manager and the replication controller, using, for example, persistent named pipes for communication. This provides a file-like interface, making data transfer and task delegation easier. While the task manager determines which tasks to execute within the container and which require external resources, the master controller can delegate execution of tasks that cannot be executed within the container (such as Task C in this example) to the replication controller.

[0050] As previously mentioned, the replication controller is a service daemon that waits for communication from the master controller. Upon receiving a task (such as Task C in this example), the replication controller is responsible for submitting the task to an external system for execution, such as the Linux / LFS system shown in the figure. As can be seen, this design allows resource-intensive tasks to run in a more suitable environment without affecting the performance of other applications within the container.

[0051] In practice, applications can be single or multiple, identical or different software or systems. Therefore, the task manager and controller disclosed herein are sufficiently flexible to accommodate applications of varying types and configurations, thereby ensuring that the system can effectively allocate and execute tasks in a variety of operating environments. Through this design approach, the disclosure provides an effective containerized application management solution that optimizes resource utilization while improving task processing efficiency and overall system reliability.

[0052] Figure 5 is an exemplary structural block diagram of a container system for implementing inter-container interaction according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the container system may include at least two containers, such as container 506 and container 513, and each container is configured with its own main controller, such as the main controllers 510 and 516 shown in the figure. Specifically, container 506 may contain an application 509, a task manager 512, and binary files and libraries (Bins / Libs) 507, while container 513 may contain an application 515 and binary files and libraries 514. As an example, both of the aforementioned containers rely on their own container engines (container engines 505 and 503, respectively) to run in a virtualized environment. As can be seen from the figure, these engines are built on a host operating system (Host O / S) 502, and the host operating system runs on hardware 501.

[0053] In the container system of the present disclosure, an application can be software or a system, and can also include a single or multiple identical or different applications. This means that applications within a container, such as application 509, are not limited to standalone software, but can also be a collection of multiple collaborative applications that form part of a broader system. In operation, the task manager 512 is responsible for determining task queues and allocating tasks within the container 506 based on task priority, resource availability, concurrency, and / or dependencies. In addition, the task manager 512 is also equipped with an automatic retry mechanism to ensure that tasks can be recovered or retried when the connection is lost or fails.

[0054] In terms of control, task control between containers can be implemented through main controllers 510 and 516, which allow the task manager 512 in container 506 to call, control, or stop the application 515 in another container (such as container 513). This design not only improves the interaction capabilities between containers, but also enables the entire containerized system to more flexibly manage and execute complex tasks across containers.

[0055] Similar to the container architecture system shown in Figures 2 and 3, each container in the container system shown in Figure 5 can interact with the host operating system 502 through a container engine (such as container engines 503 and 505), and the host operating system runs on hardware 501. Through such an architectural approach, it can be ensured that the applications in the container can utilize the host hardware resources. It can be understood that the container system architecture layout disclosed herein optimizes the use of resources and improves the overall efficiency and reliability of the system. Furthermore, through this architectural design, the container system disclosed herein can provide efficient processing capabilities and good scalability when processing distributed applications and tasks.

[0056] In the container system shown in Figure 5, each container is deployed with an application programming interface ("API", i.e., a specific port) and requires a unique API key for secure access and control. These API keys serve as authentication credentials, allowing authorized entities, especially task managers, to control the functions of specific containers, ensuring a controlled and verified communication channel. Specifically, the container device disclosed in the present invention is equipped with a task manager and the necessary API keys, which establish connections with other containers by utilizing the TCP / IP network protocol and effectively communicate with each container. This communication framework allows the task manager to initiate interaction with any container in the network, facilitating seamless coordination and task execution across the entire containerized system or environment.

[0057] The container system shown in Figure 5 is particularly advantageous for software deployment in a hybrid environment. For example, the container system can be applied or deployed in such an interaction scenario, that is, the interaction between containers (such as Docker) and traditional load sharing facilities (Load Sharing Facility, "LSF"). In terms of application scenarios, containers are deployed in cloud-centric environments, while LSF is widely used in more mature environments such as semiconductor manufacturing plants or fabless design companies. In addition, the container system disclosed herein is also applicable to software solutions that interact with other software, even if these software may not be container / cloud native.

[0058] Traditional container / cloud-native solutions require all applications and processes to run in a single container, disabling interaction between containers. Containers act as independent executors and lack coordination capabilities when handling complex tasks that can be assigned to other containers and utilize other machine resources, such as CPU and memory. Unlike transport solutions, the containerized management solution disclosed herein enables big data analytics tasks to be distributed across all networked containers without concern for the host operating system. In this scenario, the task manager can dispatch and collect results from other containers through an API.

[0059] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can also understand that the present disclosure also discloses an electronic device for containerized application management, which includes: a host system (Host O / S202 as shown in Figure 2) and a container device for containerized application management described in combination with Figures 2 and 3. Additionally or optionally, the electronic device may also include the aforementioned system for containerized application management discussed in detail in combination with Figure 4. Further, when program code is used to implement the solution disclosed in the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which program code for implementing containerization is stored, and when the program code is executed by the processor, the operation of the container device for containerized application management (such as the container device described in combination with Figures 2 and 3) is implemented, or the system for containerized application management (such as the container system described in combination with Figure 4) is implemented.

[0060] Although a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Those skilled in the art may conceive of many modifications, changes, and alternatives without departing from the ideas and spirit of the present disclosure. It should be understood that in practicing the present disclosure, various alternatives to the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may be adopted. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of protection of the present disclosure and therefore cover equivalents or alternatives within the scope of these claims.

Claims

1. A container device for containerized application management, characterized in that Comprising: A container equipped with a main controller and at least one in-container application, where the main controller is used to coordinate the communication and operation between the in-container application and external applications on the host system; A container engine used to create a virtualized environment on the host system to support the execution of the in-container application; and A replication controller used to manage instructions from the main controller in the container and coordinate the interaction between the container and external applications on the host system.

2. The container device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main controller is also used to schedule tasks of the in-container application according to task priority and / or resource availability.

3. The container device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Wherein the replication controller is also used to pass the task requests received from the main controller to the applications on the host system for task execution.

4. The container device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The replication controller is also used to monitor the status of external applications on the host system and report to the main controller.

5. The container device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main controller is also used to communicate with the replication controller using a message protocol.

6. The container device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication channel between the main controller and the replication controller is a first-in-first-out (FIFO) channel based on a pipe mechanism.

7. The container device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The replication controller is also used to run on the host system in the form of a daemon process to listen for communications from the main controller in real time.

8. The container device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The container further includes a task manager used to determine the task queue and allocate tasks according to task priority, resource availability, concurrency, and / or dependency.

9. The container device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The task manager further includes a backend database for task tracking and management to enable the recovery or retry of tasks in case of connection loss or failure.

10. The container device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Wherein the task manager is also used to allocate the tasks to the in-container application or external applications for execution through the main controller and the replication controller.

11. A system for containerized application management, characterized in that, Comprising: At least two containers, where each container is equipped with its own main controller and at least one in-container application, and the main controller is used to coordinate the communication and operation between the in-container application and external applications on the host system; A task manager disposed in at least one of the containers, used to schedule cross-container tasks through the main controller; A container engine used to create a virtualized environment on the host operating system to support the execution of the at least two in-container applications; And An application programming interface respectively disposed at the at least two containers for cross-container communication.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein The main controller is also used to implement cross-container communication based on a network protocol.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein The application programming interface is used to listen for cross-container communication through a specific port and use a unique application programming interface key to ensure the security of cross-container communication.

14. The system according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, It further includes a replication controller used to manage instructions from the main controller in the container and coordinate the interaction between the container and external applications on the host system.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein The replication controller is also used to monitor the status of external applications on the host system and report to the main controller.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein The task manager is also used to determine the task queue and allocate tasks according to task priority, resource availability, concurrency, and / or dependency.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein The task manager further includes a backend database for the task tracking and management to enable the recovery or retry of the task when the connection is lost or fails.

18. An electronic device for containerized application management, characterized in that, Comprising: A host system; And A container device for containerized application management according to any one of claims 1-10 or a system for containerized application management according to any one of claims 11-17.

19. An electronic device for containerized application management, characterized in that, Comprising: A processor; And A memory storing program code for implementing containerization, which when executed by the processor enables the operation of the container device according to any one of claims 1-10 or enables the implementation of the system according to any one of claims 11-17.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing program code for implementing containerized application management, which when executed by the processor enables the operation of the container device for containerized application management according to any one of claims 1-10 or enables the implementation of the system for containerized application management according to any one of claims 11-17.

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