Centralized Inventory Database for Cloud Resource Tagging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing approaches to tagging cloud and on-premises resources are inaccurate and inconsistent, leading to inefficient enforcement of internal rules and manual workflows, making it challenging to manage and govern large-scale systems across multiple cloud accounts and providers.
Innovation Solution
A centralized inventory database and web service provide cloud-provider-agnostic tagging capabilities, using a service discovery platform to dynamically detect and manage resources, allowing for automated tagging, resource inventory management, and analysis of historical data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual tagging approaches are used across multiple cloud providers, then flexibility in resource management is maintained, but tagging accuracy and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized inventory database as an intermediary layer between multiple cloud providers and the tagging system. This database receives resource data from various cloud providers through standardized interfaces and maintains a unified view of all resources, enabling consistent tagging across heterogeneous cloud environments without requiring direct integration with each provider's complex API ecosystem.
Solution Approach 2:
The inventory database serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a centralized repository for resource data, a service registry for tracking resource identities, a data model generator for creating consistent tag structures, and an interface for applying tags across different cloud providers. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate manual tagging processes for each cloud provider.
2Stability of the object's composition
If centralized inventory management is implemented across multiple cloud providers, then tagging consistency is improved, but administrator privileges and access complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service tagging by allowing users to directly interact with the inventory database through standardized interfaces to apply, modify, or remove tags from resources. Users can manage tags without requiring administrator privileges on individual cloud provider accounts, as the centralized database handles authentication and resource access through pre-configured service accounts or API credentials.
3Productivity
If manual workflows are used for resource tagging and management, then system simplicity is maintained, but productivity and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically discovering and inventorying cloud resources before tagging is needed. The inventory database continuously monitors cloud environments, detects new resources, and maintains up-to-date resource metadata. This preliminary resource registration and data collection enables rapid tag application when needed, eliminating manual resource discovery and verification steps.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate tagging systems are used for each cloud provider, then provider-specific customization is maintained, but governance and control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges tagging capabilities across multiple cloud providers into a single centralized system. The inventory database consolidates resource data from different providers and applies unified tagging policies consistently across all resources. This consolidation maintains the ability to customize tags for specific providers or resource types while enforcing centralized governance rules, eliminating the need to manage separate tagging systems for each cloud provider.
Data Source
AI summary
Data characterizing a list of resources including a first resource within a first remote computing environment and a second resource within a second remote computing environment is received from a database separate from a plurality of remote computing systems. Metadata characterizing a first tag to be applied to the first resource and a second tag to be applied to the second resource is received. A data model of the resources is generated. The data model associates the first resource with the first tag and the second resource with the second tag. The data model is stored within a second database. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.