Standardized API Access Mechanism for External Service Attributes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accessing and managing external attributes of computing resources in modern virtualized systems is challenging due to restricted access and the need for extensive codebases to accommodate various service providers, leading to inefficiencies in scalability and resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an access mechanism that allows external service providers to manage computing resource attributes through a standardized API and entity attribute access rules, enabling 'push' and 'pull' operations to synchronize data, reducing the burden on internal systems and eliminating the need for extensive codebases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vendor-supplied interface is used to access external service attributes, then access to restricted external resource attributes becomes possible, but the complexity of managing multiple interfaces and codebases increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the access mechanism with standardized API) between the internal computing system and external service providers. This intermediary handles the complexity of accessing restricted external attributes through vendor-supplied interfaces while presenting a simplified, standardized interface to the internal system, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable access and codebase complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal access mechanism that can interface with multiple different external service providers through a single standardized API. This multi-functional interface eliminates the need for separate codebases for each external service, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable access to various external attributes
2Reliability
If extensive code is written to access external service attributes through vendor interfaces, then access to restricted attributes becomes possible, but scalability and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized API acts as an intermediary that abstracts the complexity of vendor-specific interfaces. Internal systems can access external service attributes through this uniform interface without needing to write extensive provider-specific code, thereby improving scalability and productivity while maintaining reliable access
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a standardized representation (copy) of external service attributes through the access mechanism. Instead of directly implementing multiple vendor-specific interfaces, the system uses this standardized copy that can be uniformly accessed through the API, reducing the code needed and improving scalability
3Adaptability or versatility
If human effort is invested to develop and maintain codebases for external service access, then access mechanisms can be customized, but the workload and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized API provides a universal access mechanism that can be adapted to work with multiple external service providers without requiring custom code for each one. This universality maintains adaptability and versatility while dramatically reducing the time and human effort needed for development and maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables customization through parameter changes in the standardized API rather than code changes. External service attributes can be accessed by modifying parameters and configuration rather than developing new code, thereby maintaining adaptability while reducing development and maintenance time
Data Source
AI summary
Synchronization techniques for computing systems that interface with external service providers. A method for accessing status and other attributes of an external service provider commences upon identifying an external service such as a firewall appliance or backup repository that provides computing-related functions to computing entities of the computing system. One or more access mechanisms such as an application programming interface is exposed to the external service. The external service is registered with the computing system to use the access mechanism. When the external service detects a change of its state, the external service can communicate that change to the computing system through a “push” operation. The computing system processes the “pushed” data from the external service by verifying the status of the registration and authorization permissions, and then modifies one or more entity attributes of the computing resource entity.