Connection Manager Profiles for Network Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of allocating, provisioning, and maintaining server-to-network connections in large data centers is inefficient, prone to errors, and lacks accountability, often leading to misconfigurations and network outages due to the cumbersome communication and coordination between network and server administrators.
Innovation Solution
A connection manager system that creates and manages network connections based on pre-defined connection profiles, allowing server administrators to subscribe to available connections, thereby streamlining the process and reducing the need for direct communication with network administrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ad hoc process with communication between administrators is used, then flexibility in configuration is improved, but process efficiency and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables server administrators to autonomously provision network connections by selecting from pre-defined connection profiles. The connection manager automatically handles the technical configuration details, eliminating the need for manual coordination with network administrators while maintaining configuration flexibility through profile selection.
Solution Approach 2:
Connection profiles are pre-configured with all necessary network settings, parameters, and configurations before needed. This preliminary preparation allows server administrators to quickly provision connections by simply selecting appropriate profiles, dramatically improving provisioning efficiency without sacrificing configuration adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual coordination between administrators is required, then configuration customization is improved, but error rate and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pre-defined connection profiles as templates that can be copied and applied to multiple servers. These profiles contain verified, error-free configuration settings that ensure consistency and accuracy across all deployments, eliminating manual configuration errors while maintaining customization through profile selection and modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows configuration customization by enabling administrators to select different connection profiles with pre-set parameters or modify existing profiles. This parameter-based approach maintains reliability through structured configuration options while allowing necessary customization for different server needs without manual coordination errors.
3Ease of operation
If ad hoc provisioning process is used, then operational flexibility is improved, but accountability and management visibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The connection manager provides comprehensive feedback and auditing capabilities, tracking all connection provisioning actions, selections, and configurations. This feedback mechanism ensures management accountability by recording who provisioned what connection, when, and why, while maintaining operational flexibility through automated profile-based provisioning.
Data Source
AI summary
Connections for sources to connect to a network are managed by storing connection profiles identifying network attributes for the connections. Each connection profile includes a status of available or subscribed. Requests for connections are received. If a stored connection profile is available that matches the request, the connection for the matching connection profile is assigned to the source.