Application Storage Volume Segregation for OS Upgrade Migration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional application management systems face challenges in efficiently capturing and managing applications across numerous devices due to the lack of pre-installation snapshots, tight coupling between operating systems and applications, and the inefficiency of manual processes, especially during operating system upgrades.
Innovation Solution
A method to segregate a monolithic computing system into separate application storage volumes using static analysis, allowing for the creation of virtual disks containing application components, which can be managed remotely and selectively migrated during OS upgrades, decoupling applications from the operating system and enabling their attachment or detachment as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional application capture systems are used to manage applications across numerous devices, then application delivery and management capability is provided, but the process requires significant time and resources for each individual application capture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the application capture process by creating separate application packages that can be independently captured, stored, and deployed. Each application is packaged as a distinct unit with its dependencies identified through static analysis, allowing parallel processing and independent management of multiple applications without requiring sequential capture of entire system states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary static analysis to identify application boundaries, dependencies, and components before actual application deployment. This advance analysis creates a blueprint that enables automated package creation and reduces the time required for subsequent application capture and deployment operations.
2Loss of information
If manual application capture processes are used for each application, then comprehensive application inventory is achieved, but the process becomes an on-going never-ending task requiring continuous re-capture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual snapshots or copies of application states at different points in time, allowing the system to track application changes without requiring full re-capture. These virtual copies enable comparison and delta calculation to identify what has changed, maintaining comprehensive inventory information while significantly reducing the operational burden of continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual, mechanical application capture processes with automated static analysis and virtualization techniques. The system automatically identifies application boundaries, packages components, and manages deployment without human intervention, transforming an labor-intensive manual process into an automated system that maintains comprehensive inventory efficiently.
3Stability of the object's composition
If applications are tightly coupled with the operating system, then system stability is maintained, but application migration during OS upgrades becomes complex and resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts applications from their tight coupling with the operating system by packaging them as independent, self-contained units with identified dependencies. This extraction allows applications to be migrated, updated, or managed independently of OS changes, reducing the complexity of application migration during OS upgrades while maintaining system stability through controlled dependency management.
4Measurement precision
If pre-installation snapshots are required for application capture, then accurate application boundaries can be identified, but the process fails when snapshots are not available
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring pre-installation snapshots to identify application boundaries, the patent inverts the approach by performing static analysis on already-installed applications. The system analyzes application binaries, registry entries, and file system structures to reverse-engineer application boundaries and dependencies without needing prior snapshot data, making the process reliable whether or not snapshots are available.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for segregating a monolithic computing device that contains many installed applications into separate application storage volumes that can be attached or detached from the computing device as needed. Once the monolithic device has been segregated, the application storage volumes can be managed remotely from a management server and can be enabled or disabled on the device based on instructions from an administrator. Additionally, the administrator is enabled to select which application storage volumes are migrated during an operating system (OS) upgrade on the computing device.