Compute Resource Protection During Cloud Outages

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In cloud computing environments, allocated compute resources are often released during outages, leading to prolonged service disruptions and slow recovery due to insufficient resources to meet quickly increasing demand after the outage is resolved.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that detects outage conditions using predicted load patterns, allowing compute resources to be protected from release during outages, thereby maintaining them for quicker recovery when demand returns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If compute resources are released during outages to optimize resource utilization, then resource efficiency is improved, but service recovery time increases and productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidservice recovery speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting outage conditions before they fully impact service delivery. By comparing current load against predicted load patterns, the system identifies outages early and proactively protects compute resources from being released, ensuring resources are ready when service resumes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring current compute resource load and comparing it against predicted load patterns. This feedback loop enables the system to detect deviations indicating outages and automatically adjust resource protection decisions accordingly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If compute resources are released during outages following standard cloud practices, then resource allocation efficiency is improved, but service reliability deteriorates due to prolonged disruptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidservice continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by taking protective measures before the outage fully manifests. By detecting the outage condition through load pattern comparison and preemptively protecting compute resources from release, the system counteracts the harmful effect of resource depletion before it can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares in advance by establishing predicted load patterns and detection thresholds. When an outage occurs, these pre-established mechanisms enable immediate resource protection without requiring complex real-time analysis, ensuring service reliability is maintained.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If standard resource release policies are applied during outages, then operational simplicity is maintained, but service disruption duration increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidservice disruption duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by autonomously detecting outages through load pattern comparison and automatically protecting compute resources without human intervention. The system monitors its own state, identifies anomalies, and takes corrective action independently, maintaining operational simplicity while improving service continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Loss of energy

If compute resources are not protected during outages, then resource utilization is optimized, but demand fulfillment capability deteriorates when demand returns

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoiddemand fulfillment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from load pattern comparison to dynamically adjust resource protection decisions. By continuously comparing current load against predicted patterns, the system receives feedback about outage conditions and automatically protects resources when needed, ensuring demand fulfillment capability is maintained when demand returns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10565023B2Outage detection and compute resource protection in a computer service environment

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Technologies are described for protecting compute resources during outage conditions. For example, when an outage condition is detected, currently allocated compute resources can be protected by not releasing them in response to the outage condition. For example, a load pattern representing historical usage of compute resources by a computer service can be obtained. A predicted load pattern of compute resources can be generated based on the obtained load pattern. An outage condition related to the computer service can then be detected based on the predicted load pattern. In response to detecting the outage condition, compute resources can be protected and not released in response to the outage condition.