Cloud Service Catalog for Automated Resource Orchestration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional techniques for orchestrating computing resources on cloud-based networks are manual, time-consuming, prone to errors, and require significant human interaction, limiting their accessibility and efficiency for users without extensive knowledge of cloud computing.

Innovation Solution

A computational instance of a remote network management platform integrates with a customizable software application to analyze template representations of computing resources, convert configurable parameters into questions, and provision resources through a cloud service catalog, allowing both technical and non-technical users to orchestrate computing resources without manual interaction with cloud providers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual techniques are used to orchestrate computing resources, then users can directly control cloud resources, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveDirect control capabilityVSAvoidProvisioning speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cloud service catalog as an intermediary layer between users and cloud providers. This catalog presents simplified service templates and configurations to users while automatically translating their selections into complex cloud resource provisioning operations, eliminating the need for users to directly interact with cloud provider APIs while maintaining automation efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-defines service templates that encapsulate complete cloud resource configurations before users need them. These templates include pre-configured parameters, dependencies, and provisioning steps, allowing users to simply select and instantiate ready-to-deploy services rather than configuring everything from scratch, significantly reducing provisioning time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If IaC is used to automate resource provisioning, then consistency and reproducibility improve, but the complexity barrier for users increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveProvisioning consistencyVSAvoidUser accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cloud service catalog acts as an intermediary that translates user-friendly service selections into IaC-compliant configurations. Users interact with simplified service descriptions and templates rather than raw IaC code, while the system automatically generates the necessary provisioning infrastructure as code, maintaining both consistency and ease of use

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses service templates as reusable copies of proven cloud resource configurations. These templates capture best-practice configurations and can be instantly instantiated multiple times with different parameters, ensuring consistent provisioning outcomes while providing users with simple template selection interfaces rather than requiring them to create configurations from scratch

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If detailed cloud computing knowledge is required for resource orchestration, then precise control is achieved, but accessibility to non-technical users is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveResource configuration accuracyVSAvoidUser base accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cloud service catalog serves as an intermediary that translates non-technical user selections into precise cloud resource configurations. Users make high-level service choices without needing to understand underlying cloud infrastructure details, while the catalog automatically maps these selections to accurate technical configurations, maintaining both accessibility and precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms configuration parameters from technical cloud provider-specific parameters to user-friendly service parameters. Instead of requiring users to specify cloud provider APIs, region codes, and infrastructure details, users interact with semantic service parameters like service type, size, and location, which the system automatically translates into precise technical configurations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11129159B2Programmatic orchestration of cloud-based services
Publication Date: 2021.09.21 SERVICENOW INC
  • US11129159B2 patent drawing
  • US11129159B2 patent drawing
  • US11129159B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A computational instance of a remote network management platform may be dedicated to a managed network that has access to computing resources of one or more remote networks. One or more server devices may be disposed within the computational instance and may cause a cloud service catalog software application to: (i) obtain a selection of a catalog item, where the catalog item defines prospective computing resources that provide a computing function, and where the selection includes a set of variables that associate the prospective computing resources with the one or more remote networks and determine configuration details for the prospective computing resources, (ii) populate a template representation with the variables, (iii) transmit the template representation to a server configured to identify target computing resources of the one or more remote networks and provision the target computing resources, and (iv) receive identification information related to the target computing resources.