Upgrade Scenario Evaluation in Cloud Infrastructure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upgrades in networked computing environments, such as cloud computing, often result in downtime and failed installations due to potential points of failure, posing risks to system availability and service level agreements.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for evaluating upgrade scenarios by pre-testing and identifying potential problems, recommending optimal configurations, and optionally redirecting workloads to a successfully configured system, which includes receiving an application selection, provisioning the destination, attempting installation, determining success, identifying alternative scenarios, and implementing the optimal scenario.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If upgrades are performed in a networked computing environment, then system functionality is improved, but downtime and failed installations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary testing of upgrade scenarios in a virtualized test environment before applying upgrades to production systems. Multiple potential upgrade paths are pre-evaluated to identify the most successful configuration, thereby reducing failed installations and downtime in the actual upgrade process
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of the target system configuration to serve as test beds for evaluating upgrade scenarios. These virtual copies allow comprehensive testing without risking the production system, enabling identification of successful upgrade paths before implementation
2Reliability
If multiple upgrade scenarios are tested and evaluated, then the likelihood of successful installation is improved, but the time and complexity of the upgrade process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system evaluates multiple upgrade scenarios beyond the single planned upgrade path, testing more configurations than traditionally performed. This excessive testing in the virtual environment ensures that when an upgrade is deployed, it has already been validated against numerous potential failure modes, significantly reducing actual upgrade failures
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a virtualized test environment as an intermediary between upgrade planning and production deployment. This intermediate layer allows comprehensive testing without directly impacting production timelines, as the virtual testing can occur in parallel with production operations
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to mitigate the risk of downtime or failed upgrades to a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing infrastructure). This approach generally comprises pre-testing and evaluating potential upgrade paths to identify potential problems, and optionally recommending one or more optimal configurations. Specifically, if a proposed upgrade is identified as having potential points of failure (e.g., based on pre-testing), an end user/customer may be so notified. If the upgrade has several potential successful configurations, such configurations may be evaluated to identify a configuration that appears to have the greatest likelihood of a successful installation scenario. Optionally, the end user may then choose to redirect workload(s) to a successfully configured system that has been provisioned and pre-tested.