Cloud Infrastructure Automation for Service Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual and labor-intensive process of provisioning cloud services in cloud computing environments leads to delays in service availability, and existing systems lack efficient automation for managing and tracking resource usage, particularly in handling overage and secure data transfer.
Innovation Solution
A cloud infrastructure system that automates provisioning, management, and tracking of services by enabling immediate access to ordered services, utilizing workflows to streamline processing, computing resource overage, and implementing a security framework for secure information transfer between components based on security zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual processing steps are performed for subscription orders, then service provisioning can be completed with basic infrastructure, but service deployment time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the subscription order processing into distinct workflow components: order receipt, verification, resource provisioning, identity domain creation, and service activation. Each segment can be independently managed and automated, allowing progressive implementation of automation without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring workflow templates, resource allocation rules, and security policies before subscription orders arrive. This allows automated processing to begin immediately upon order receipt, reducing wait times without requiring complex real-time decision-making infrastructure.
2Loss of time
If all processing steps are completed before service activation, then service security and proper provisioning are ensured, but customer wait time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs critical preliminary actions (resource allocation, security configuration) before service activation while completing non-critical steps in parallel or after activation. This allows service activation to occur as soon as essential prerequisites are met, reducing customer wait time while maintaining provisioning reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The workflow system dynamically adjusts the sequencing and timing of processing steps based on service type, customer tier, and system state. Critical path steps are prioritized for immediate execution, while non-critical steps can be deferred or performed asynchronously, optimizing both speed and reliability.
3Productivity
If resources are provisioned for customer services, then service functionality is enabled, but resource overuse occurs without tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops that monitor resource consumption against allocated quotas. When overuse is detected, the system automatically triggers notifications, enforcement actions, or workflow adjustments. This automated feedback mechanism enables efficient resource utilization without requiring complex manual tracking infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The resource tracking system operates autonomously by automatically monitoring, measuring, and reporting resource consumption. The system self-manages quota enforcement and generates billing information without requiring intensive manual intervention, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high resource utilization efficiency.
4Reliability
If security zones are implemented for data transfer, then information security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The security framework is segmented into discrete security zones (e.g., public, internal, restricted) with clearly defined access policies between them. This modular segmentation allows security to be implemented incrementally and managed through standardized policy templates, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining strong security controls.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
An infrastructure for providing cloud services is described. In particular embodiments, a cloud infrastructure system, including one or more computing devices, performs a method for processing a subscription order for one or more services provided to a customer by the cloud infrastructure system. The method includes storing a subscription order information related to a subscription order received from a customer for one or more services provided by the cloud infrastructure system. The method includes identifying a process associated to be used for servicing the subscription order. The process comprises one or more execution steps for provisioning one or more resources for the one or more services identified in the subscription order. The method includes orchestrating the performance of the one or more execution steps corresponding to the process. The cloud infrastructure system sends a notification to a customer indicating a status of the subscription order.