Application Topology Map for Software Dependency Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise users often face challenges in managing complex software applications, as the relationships and dependencies between application components are not readily apparent, making it difficult to identify issues and optimize performance.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an 'application topology map' within a remote network management platform, which visually represents application components as nodes in a graph, with edges indicating logical dependencies. This tool helps users understand the impact of failed or upgraded components and determine the root cause of performance issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If application components are interconnected to provide compound services, then the functionality and versatility of the software application is improved, but the complexity of understanding component relationships and dependencies worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the application component topology through graphs and maps. These visual representations replicate the complex interconnections in an easily interpretable format, allowing users to understand relationships without directly analyzing the underlying complex code structure. The visual topology maps serve as simplified copies that preserve relationship information while reducing cognitive complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of application components increases to handle unique enterprise requirements, then the customization capability is improved, but the difficulty of identifying issues and determining root causes worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual topology maps and relationship graphs as intermediary tools between the complex application component system and the user. These intermediaries translate complex component relationships into visual formats that facilitate easier detection and analysis of issues. The visual representations act as a bridge that simplifies the process of identifying problems in large-scale customized applications.
3Ease of manufacture
If application components are modularized to eliminate development complexity, then the ease of development is improved, but the visibility of component services and their combinations worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a visual dimension to the modular application components by representing them in two-dimensional graphs and topology maps. This dimensional transformation allows modular components to be visualized with their relationships clearly displayed, recovering the service visibility that would otherwise be lost due to modularization. The visual representation layer adds spatial context that makes component services and their combinations apparent.
Data Source
AI summary
A system could include persistent storage containing application components. A plurality of software applications could be installed on the system. The software applications could be respectively associated context records that include references to application components that provide some behavior or data for the software applications. The system could also include processors configured to perform operations. The operations could include receiving a request to generate a topology map for a software application and identifying, based on a context record for the software application, a subset of application components that provide some behavior or data for the software application. The operations could further include determining relationship types between pairs of application components and generating a topology map for the software application. The subset of application components may be represented as nodes in the topology map, and edges between the nodes may be defined from relationship types between corresponding pairs of application components.