Configuration-Driven Application Graphs for Cloud Dependency Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
As cloud-based systems become more complex, managing communication and deployment configurations becomes unmanageable, leading to discrepancies and misunderstandings due to multiple sources of documentation, which can cause critical errors.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for automatically tracking elements and generating customizable graphs that capture dependencies and message flows by processing configuration files, extracting element data, and incorporating implicit data to visualize the cloud environment, allowing users to modify and compare application versions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple sources of documentation are used to track system communication, then comprehensive information coverage is improved, but discrepancies and misunderstandings increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple documentation sources (configuration files, diagrams, implicit environment data) into a single unified graph representation. This consolidation eliminates discrepancies between separate sources while preserving comprehensive information coverage, as the graph synthesizes all communication pathways into one authoritative model.
Solution Approach 2:
The graph data structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tracks explicit configuration data, incorporates implicit environment information, visualizes communication flows, and provides a single source of truth for system documentation. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making one universal artifact replace multiple specialized documentation sources.
2Ease of operation
If manual processes are used for deployment, then flexibility and control are improved, but error-proneness and unmanageability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service deployment by automatically generating the graph from configuration files and environment data without manual intervention. This automation maintains flexibility and control through configurable parameters while eliminating human errors, resolving the contradiction between manual control and deployment accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of system components grows, then system capability and functionality are improved, but communication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the complex multi-dimensional communication relationships between numerous components into a simplified graph visualization that presents information in a more manageable dimension. The graph abstracts the complexity of many-to-many component interactions into clear visual pathways, maintaining system capability while reducing perceived communication complexity.
4Ease of operation
If separate diagrams are created to document communication flows, then visual understanding is improved, but maintenance burden and documentation discrepancies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functionality of separate communication diagrams with configuration documentation into a single graph generated automatically from configuration files. This eliminates the need to maintain separate diagrams, reducing maintenance burden while preserving visual understanding, as the graph serves both as documentation and as an accurate visual representation of communication flows.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automatically tracking elements associated with a software application and for generating customizable graphs that capture the dependencies and message flows among the elements is provided. For a software application deployed in a cloud environment, configuration files used to deploy the elements of the software application are processed to extract information such as the name of each element and the names of messages used or produced by each element. This extracted data is combined with implicit data about the cloud environment such as data about elements used in the environment but that are not deployed using configuration files. Graph data is generated from the combined data that includes an object for each element and edges that represent message flows or dependencies between the elements. The graph data is used to render and display a graph of the software application.