Cloud Network Element Management via Plugin Normalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network element management in cloud platforms is inefficient as elements sourced from different vendors are managed separately, leading to suboptimal operations and resource utilization across distributed data centers.
Innovation Solution
A plugin-based architecture that collects and normalizes data from diverse sources to enable comprehensive management of network elements, allowing for workload optimization and resource allocation decisions based on user-defined policies, thereby improving performance and reducing energy costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If network elements from different vendors are managed separately, then each vendor's elements can be managed with dedicated interfaces, but overall resource utilization and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal management interface that can handle multiple vendor-specific network elements through a common API layer. This allows the system to maintain vendor-specific functionality while providing unified management capabilities, resolving the contradiction between ease of management and resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary management layer that sits between the user and vendor-specific network elements. This intermediary translates universal management commands into vendor-specific operations, enabling centralized control while preserving vendor-specific capabilities, thus improving both ease of management and resource utilization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vendor-specific management interfaces are used, then each network element can be accessed with its unique properties, but system complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal management interface that can adapt to multiple vendor-specific network elements. This single interface handles diverse vendor protocols and properties through standardization, reducing system complexity while maintaining vendor compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms vendor-specific parameters into standardized parameters through the management interface. By changing the representation of network element properties from vendor-specific formats to unified formats, the system reduces complexity while preserving adaptability to different vendors.
3Reliability
If distributed data centers are managed independently, then each data center can operate autonomously, but overall operational efficiency and coordination deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management of distributed data centers into a unified system while preserving individual autonomy. By combining management functions at a higher level, the system achieves coordinated operation across data centers, improving operational efficiency while maintaining the reliability benefits of autonomous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new management dimension that operates above individual data centers. This additional layer enables cross-data-center coordination and resource optimization without interfering with the autonomous operational dimension of individual data centers, thus improving efficiency while preserving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions that when executed cause the processor to receive first data from a first data provider in a cloud platform, receive second data from a second data provider in the cloud platform, the second data being a different type of data than the first data, and the first data and the second data pertaining to network elements in the cloud platform. The instructions may also cause the processor to normalize the first data and the second data and based on an analysis of the normalized first data and the second data, identify an action to be executed in the cloud platform. The instructions may further cause the processor to instruct a dispatcher to execute the action.