Composite Application Deployment via Descriptor-Based Orchestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deploying and managing composite applications on cloud-based platforms, particularly those not structured in a star topology, is challenging due to the lack of standardized methods for deployment, monitoring, and management.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a solution descriptor and environment descriptor to generate compatible workload-plugin-platform combinations, determining an execution order, and invoking plugins to execute compatible component workload units on target platforms, enabling seamless deployment and management of composite applications on Platform as a Service (PaaS) platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If applications are deployed using star topology on PaaS platforms, then deployment and management is simplified, but applications not structured in star topology cannot be deployed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal deployment model that works for both star topology applications and other topologies (mesh, layered, hierarchical). The solution descriptor and environment descriptor provide a standardized interface that adapts to different application structures, making the deployment system multi-functional rather than limited to star topology only.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate components (solution descriptor, environment descriptor, and orchestration layer) that mediate between the application and the PaaS platform. These intermediaries translate various application topologies into a standardized deployment format, enabling compatibility without requiring applications to conform to star topology.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple application components and services are bound together in composite applications, then functionality is enhanced, but deployment and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple application components and services into a unified composite application model represented by the solution descriptor. This descriptor consolidates information about all components, their dependencies, and relationships into a single manageable structure, reducing deployment complexity despite enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the complex composite application into manageable units (component workload units) that can be independently described and deployed. The solution descriptor breaks down the composite application into discrete components with explicit dependency declarations, making deployment and management more tractable.
3Stability of the object's composition
If standardized deployment methods are implemented for composite applications, then management consistency is improved, but support for diverse application topologies is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter-based descriptors (solution descriptor, environment descriptor) that can accommodate different topology parameters without changing the underlying standardized deployment process. The descriptors capture topology-specific information as parameters, allowing standardized management methods to work across diverse topologies by adapting to different parameter values.
Data Source
AI summary
A solution descriptor comprises a set of component workload units, a workload unit describing a deployable application component with application binary, configuration parameters and dependency declarations. An environment descriptor specifies a set of target platforms and plugins in an execution environment. A deployer interprets the solution descriptor and the environment descriptor, and generates a list of tuples comprising compatible workload-plugin-platform combinations. The deployer determines an execution order for the list of tuples, and invokes the plugins in the list of tuples in the execution order, wherein each of the plugins executes a corresponding compatible workload on a corresponding compatible target platform specified in the list of tuples.