Backup-Based VM Blueprint Instantiation for Faster Application Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Creating new applications with virtual machines is time-consuming and error-prone due to the need for manual scripting and reconfiguration, especially in data management systems.
Innovation Solution
A data management system groups virtual machines into blueprints, using them to create new applications and configure associated machines, and supports instantiating and deleting these applications efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual scripting and reconfiguration is used to create new applications with virtual machines, then flexibility and customization are improved, but time consumption and error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures virtual machine templates with standard applications, software environments, and system settings before deployment. These templates include pre-installed development tools, databases, and configuration files, eliminating the need for manual setup during application creation. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces deployment time while maintaining customization options through template selection and modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates reusable virtual machine templates that can be copied and instantiated multiple times. Once a template is configured with specific applications and settings, it can be replicated to create identical virtual machine instances rapidly. This copying mechanism preserves exact configurations across multiple deployments while eliminating repetitive manual configuration tasks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual scripting and reconfiguration is used to create new applications with virtual machines, then flexibility and customization are improved, but error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual machine templates are pre-configured with validated software environments, dependency relationships, and configuration settings before deployment. This preliminary validation ensures that all necessary components are properly set up and tested in advance, eliminating configuration errors that would otherwise occur during manual setup. The templates include pre-verified installation scripts and configuration parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
By copying proven, error-free template configurations to create new virtual machine instances, the system ensures consistency and reliability across deployments. The copied templates contain validated configurations that have been tested and verified, preventing configuration errors and ensuring reproducible results across multiple application instances.
3Productivity
If automated instantiation from backup configurations is used, then productivity and speed are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a template management system that acts as an intermediary between backup configurations and virtual machine instantiation. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by providing a standardized interface for template creation, storage, and retrieval. It handles the conversion of backup configurations into deployable templates and coordinates the instantiation process, shielding users from underlying system complexity while enabling rapid deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The template management system serves multiple functions: storing backup configurations, validating template integrity, managing version control, coordinating instantiation, and handling resource allocation. This multi-functional approach consolidates complexity into a single standardized system that simplifies the overall deployment process while enabling high productivity through automated operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A data management platform may group a first instance of a set of virtual machines into a backup group for performing a backup of data from a source data storage environment to a target data storage environment in accordance with a backup configuration. The data management platform may receive, from a user, an input to create a second instance of the set of virtual machines at the target data storage environment. In some examples, data backed up to the target data storage environment from the first instance may be configured as a source for the second instance. The data management platform may instantiate, in response to receiving the input, the second instance of the set of virtual machines using the backup configuration for the first instance of the set of virtual machines and the data backed up to the target data storage environment.