Centralized Configuration Management for Software Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing configuration settings across multiple software components in a computer system is challenging due to differences in file types, interfaces, and settings, leading to issues with updates and system instability, especially during power interruptions or when software components are unavailable.
Innovation Solution
A centralized configuration management system with a unified data store and template configuration files ensures that all software components receive updated configuration settings simultaneously, using atomic transactions to maintain system integrity and avoid partial updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized configuration management system with atomic transactions is implemented, then configuration consistency and system reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized configuration management system as an intermediary layer between configuration data and software components. This mediator manages configuration data in a unified manner, applying changes atomically across all components to ensure consistency without requiring modifications to the components themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration management system separates configuration data management from software component operations. By segmenting the configuration management function into a dedicated system with atomic transaction capabilities, the patent ensures that configuration changes are applied consistently across all components while keeping the components themselves simple and unmodified.
2Stability of the object's composition
If configuration settings are updated across multiple software components simultaneously, then configuration consistency is improved, but the risk of system instability during updates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary validation and preparation of configuration changes before applying them to software components. The centralized system prepares the atomic transaction with all necessary configuration data, validates it, and then applies it simultaneously to all components, ensuring consistency while minimizing the window of potential instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs error handling and rollback mechanisms as a cushion against potential update failures. If an atomic transaction fails during application to software components, the system can rollback to the previous consistent state, preventing partial updates that would cause instability.
3Ease of operation
If a unified configuration data store is implemented to manage all software components, then ease of configuration management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized configuration data store is designed as a universal system that can manage configuration data for multiple different software components with diverse interfaces and settings. By creating a multi-functional data store that handles various configuration types through a unified interface, the patent simplifies configuration management operations while accommodating the complexity of different components internally.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for maintaining configuration data for software components deployed on a computer network are disclosed. The techniques include a server on the computer network receiving configuration data values associated with the software components, committing the configuration data values to a data store, creating, from configuration data stored in the data store, configuration files for the software components with the configuration data value, and providing the configuration files to the software components.