Cloud IT Service Latency Reduction via Virtual Image Orchestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IT Service Continuity Management (ITSCM) solutions are costly and complex, particularly for small to medium businesses, due to high labor and infrastructure costs, and often fail to maintain up-to-date continuity plans and frequent rehearsals, leading to poor disaster recovery preparedness.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that divides IT services into infrastructure management and data management, utilizing cloud services to store and update infrastructure images, allowing for pay-per-use infrastructure resource allocation, and employing Web Service Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) to orchestrate standardized, testable ITSCM processes, thereby reducing latency and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stand-by redundant physical infrastructure is set up for recovery, then reliability of disaster recovery is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual machine images as copies of the physical infrastructure. Instead of maintaining redundant physical hardware, the system creates virtual copies of system states that can be rapidly deployed for recovery, eliminating the need for complex physical redundancy while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical infrastructure redundancy with a software-based virtualization system. Virtual machine images and cloud-based recovery mechanisms substitute for physical standby systems, reducing device complexity while preserving disaster recovery capability
2Reliability
If frequent rehearsals and updates of continuity plans are performed, then reliability of disaster recovery is improved, but loss of time and productivity during rehearsals increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs recovery rehearsals and validation in advance by deploying virtual machine images to cloud environments before actual disasters occur. This preliminary action ensures continuity plans are current and tested without requiring extended downtime during critical periods
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables dynamic updating of virtual machine images and continuity plans without requiring system shutdowns. Updates can be applied to virtual infrastructure while maintaining service operation, allowing frequent rehearsals without productivity loss
3Device complexity
If virtualization technology is used to combine recovery with server consolidation, then device complexity is reduced, but hypervisor dependencies and technology lock-in increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual machine images that are hypervisor-agnostic and can be deployed across different virtualization platforms. The recovery system supports multiple hypervisor types and cloud environments, ensuring universality and preventing vendor lock-in while maintaining the benefits of virtualization
4Quantity of substance
If cloud computing services are used for ITSCM, then cost is reduced, but service latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-deploys virtual machine images and recovery infrastructure to cloud service providers before disasters occur. This preliminary provisioning eliminates the need for time-consuming resource allocation during actual recovery events, reducing service latency while maintaining cost benefits of cloud computing
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for reducing service latency includes dividing an information technology service for a customer into an infrastructure management service and a data management service. Data associated with the information technology service is stored in a backup memory. A set of infrastructure images related to the information technology service is stored at a cloud service provider. The infrastructure images are updated with software updates and hardware updates, as needed, and the data associated with the information technology service is updated through backup and restore mechanisms. The set of infrastructure images that have been updated with data with latest updates are started for recovery, continuity, testing, etc.