CI/CD System Time-Based Component Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current CI/CD systems lack the ability to identify and manage components that failed due to external component unavailability, as they do not associate time values with actions, making it difficult to re-execute affected components or perform corrective actions.

Innovation Solution

A system manager generates time-stamped records for each CI/CD component operation and allows users to input specific or range-based time values to identify affected components, enabling actions like re-execution, reversion, removal, or update of these components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If time-stamped records are generated and stored for each CI/CD component operation, then the ability to identify and manage affected components is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to identify and manage affected componentsVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-generates and stores time-stamped records for each CI/CD component operation as it occurs. This preliminary action ensures that when external component unavailability occurs, the system already has the necessary time-based data to identify affected components without needing to retroactively analyze system state, thus improving reliability while keeping the complexity manageable through automated record-keeping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the time-stamped record storage system) that mediates between CI/CD component operations and the management system. This intermediary layer captures operation timestamps and stores them in a structured format, allowing the management system to efficiently query and identify affected components during unavailability events without directly complex interactions with each component, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and complexity increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the system traverses and analyzes stored records to identify components executed within a time range, then the precision of identifying affected components is improved, but the loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of identifying affected componentsVSAvoidtime to identify and manage components

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual or complex analytical methods with an automated computational system that traverses stored time-stamped records using algorithmic logic. This substitution enables precise identification of components executed within specific time ranges through automated record analysis, improving measurement precision while minimizing time loss through efficient computer-based processing rather than manual investigation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and maintains copies of operation records with time stamps in a structured storage format. These record copies enable rapid querying and analysis to identify affected components within specific time ranges, improving precision by having complete operational history available for analysis while reducing time loss through efficient record retrieval and processing compared to real-time system state analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If automated actions are performed on identified components (re-execute, revert, remove, update), then the productivity is improved, but the reliability may worsen due to potential erroneous actions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of managing componentsVSAvoidaccuracy of component management actions

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the automated actions (re-execute, revert, remove, update) are triggered based on analyzed time-stamped records that provide feedback about component execution history. This feedback loop ensures that actions are taken only when the record analysis confirms external component unavailability affected the identified components, improving productivity through automation while maintaining reliability by basing actions on verified historical data rather than assumptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11989539B2Continuous integration and deployment system time-based management

Publication Date: 2024.05.21 RED HAT INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for managing components of the CI/CD system in view of time-based records associated with the components. An example method comprises retrieving a plurality of records generated by a plurality of components of a continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment (CI/CD) system; receiving a time value; identifying, in view of the plurality of records, at least one component of the plurality of components that has been executed at the time value; and performing an action on the at least one component.