Automated Application Agent Update System with Rollback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing backup and restore applications face challenges in efficiently updating application agents across a cluster of hosts, leading to inconsistent states, failed updates, and laborious manual management, especially when some hosts are left in an unusable state due to errors during the update process, and there is a lack of standard rollback capabilities for hybrid update installations.

Innovation Solution

A system that automatically updates application agents by selecting hosts meeting update requirements, putting them in maintenance mode, initiating updates, and storing successful updates in non-volatile storage, while providing rollback capabilities to restore original states in case of failures, using a centralized control system and application data manager to ensure consistency and priority for update operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual update process is used for application agents, then update control and security are maintained, but update efficiency is low and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate efficiencyVSAvoidmanual operation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables application agents to automatically check for updates, download update packages, and install updates without manual intervention. The backup and restore application autonomously manages the entire update lifecycle including selecting hosts, downloading packages, installing updates, and verifying success, transforming a manual process into an automated self-service system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by first checking update requirements and selecting suitable hosts before initiating updates. Update packages are downloaded and prepared in advance, and hosts are put into maintenance mode before update installation to prevent operational disruptions, ensuring a smooth update process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If automatic update process is implemented, then update efficiency is improved, but system consistency may be compromised due to errors during update

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate efficiencyVSAvoidupdate success consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates backup copies of application agents before initiating updates. If an update fails or causes issues, the system can restore the previous working version, providing a safety cushion that prevents system inconsistency and ensures reliability while maintaining automated update efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors update progress and detects errors during the update process. When failures are detected, the system provides feedback by triggering rollback mechanisms to restore previous states, ensuring that updates are applied consistently across all hosts without compromising system reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If update packages are downloaded from external sources, then update functionality is provided, but security risks increase due to potential malicious software

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate capabilityVSAvoidmalicious software risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The backup and restore application serves as a trusted intermediary between external update sources and application agents. It downloads update packages, verifies their authenticity and integrity, and then distributes them to hosts, eliminating the need for hosts to directly access external sources and reducing security risks from malicious software

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Duration of action of stationary object

If hosts are updated without maintenance mode, then operational continuity is maintained, but update installation may fail or cause disruptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational continuityVSAvoidupdate installation success

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system puts hosts into maintenance mode before initiating update installation. This preliminary action prevents operational disruptions during the update process by stopping application operations that could interfere with the update installation, ensuring update success while minimizing impact on overall system availability through planned maintenance windows

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12124838B2Automatically updating agents from backup and restore applications

Publication Date: 2024.10.22 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

Automatically updating agents from backup and restore applications is described. A system enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads an update for instances of an application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. The system puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. The system initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. If update sessions did not fail to install update in any of instances of application agent in cluster of application hosts, then the system stores the updated instances of the application agents in a non-volatile storage.