Automated Fault Injection Lifecycle for Cloud Machines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fault injection techniques are inefficient, costly, and time-consuming due to significant manual decision-making in determining fault types, locations, and workloads for Cloud-provisioned machines.

Innovation Solution

An intelligent service that automates fault injection decisions using machine learning and feedback-based refinement, generating a lifecycle specification for fault injection processes based on inputs from knowledge about target machines and systems, minimizing human intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual decision-making is used to determine fault types, locations, and workloads, then fault injection can be performed, but the process becomes inefficient, costly, and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault injection process reliabilityVSAvoidfault injection efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically determining fault types, locations, and workloads based on system state analysis, eliminating the need for manual decision-making while maintaining reliable fault injection execution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual decision-making process with an automated computational system that analyzes system state and autonomously determines fault injection parameters, significantly improving efficiency while preserving reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If manual decision-making is required for fault injection parameters, then precise control can be achieved, but the complexity and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault injection precisionVSAvoidfault injection system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex manual decision-making processes with automated computational algorithms that precisely determine fault parameters, reducing operational complexity while maintaining or improving injection precision through systematic analysis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If manual determination of fault parameters is used, then flexibility in fault injection can be maintained, but the time required for fault injection trials increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault injection flexibilityVSAvoidfault injection time consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system autonomously determines appropriate fault types, locations, and workloads by analyzing current system state, maintaining flexibility to adapt to different scenarios while eliminating time-consuming manual decision-making processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of system state and pre-determines optimal fault parameters before execution, enabling flexible adaptation to different fault scenarios while reducing the time required during actual fault injection trials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9753826B2Providing fault injection to cloud-provisioned machines

Publication Date: 2017.09.05 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing fault injection to Cloud-provisioned machines are provided herein. A method includes determining one or more fault conditions to be associated with a fault injection implementation based on one or more parameters associated with a request for the fault injection implementation; generating a specification for a lifecycle of the fault injection implementation based on the one or more fault conditions; and executing the fault injection implementation in a target system, wherein said executing comprises effecting the lifecycle of the fault injection implementation according to the generated specification.