Automated Cloud Deployment System for PaaS Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud computing platforms face challenges in efficiently deploying code changes due to manual intervention requirements, leading to time-consuming, error-prone, and unreliable processes, which infrequently result in deployments and hinder root cause analysis of application errors.

Innovation Solution

A system that automates the deployment of code changes by receiving updated code from a version control system, authenticating with the PaaS platform, building packages, deploying to non-production and production environments, and testing based on configuration files, thereby reducing manual intervention and increasing deployment frequency and reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual intervention is used for deploying code changes, then deployment can be controlled and verified, but deployment process becomes time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment reliabilityVSAvoiddeployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically authenticating with the PaaS platform before deployment, pre-configuring testing parameters from configuration files, and preparing the deployment pipeline in advance. This automation of preliminary steps reduces manual intervention time while maintaining reliability through systematic verification processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The deployment system performs self-service by automatically authenticating with the PaaS platform, building packages, deploying to multiple environments, and executing tests without requiring manual intervention at each step. The system uses configuration files to autonomously determine testing parameters and deployment targets, reducing deployment time while maintaining reliability through automated verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If manual deployment processes are used, then errors can be caught through human review, but deployment frequency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment frequencyVSAvoiddeployment error rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by automatically executing tests after deployment and using configuration files to define expected outcomes. Test results provide immediate feedback on deployment success or failure, enabling rapid identification of errors while maintaining high deployment frequency. The automated feedback loop replaces manual review while preserving error detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The deployment system performs self-service by automatically building packages, deploying to multiple environments, and executing tests without human intervention. This automation increases deployment frequency while maintaining reliability through systematic error checking and automated verification processes defined in configuration files.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Speed

If automated authentication and deployment is implemented, then deployment speed increases, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses configuration files as intermediaries to manage the complexity of automated authentication and deployment. These files store authentication credentials, testing parameters, and deployment targets, allowing the automated system to operate at high speed while the complexity of credentials and parameters is externalized and managed separately. This intermediary approach enables fast automated deployment without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If comprehensive testing is performed in multiple environments, then deployment reliability improves, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment reliabilityVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the testing process by deploying to multiple separate environments (development, testing, production) and executing environment-specific tests defined in configuration files. This segmentation allows comprehensive testing across different contexts while optimizing resource consumption by running only relevant tests in each environment rather than all tests everywhere, maintaining reliability while controlling computational resource usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250103321A1Automated deployment of changes to applications on a cloud computing platform

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC

AI summary

In some implementations, a system may receive code for a package to be deployed on a cloud computing platform. The system may cause the cloud computing platform to build the package from the code. The system may install the package on the cloud computing platform in a first non-production environment, wherein the first non-production environment is a development environment. The system may automatically test the package in the first non-production environment based on first testing information for the first non-production environment in a configuration file associated with the code. The system may deploy the package on the cloud computing platform in a production environment. The system may automatically test the package in the production environment based on second testing information for the production environment in the configuration file.