Contact Center Management Control Plane for Configuration Rollback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Configuring and managing customized instances of cloud-based omnichannel contact center services for diverse enterprise customers is complex due to the need for individualized settings, integration with external systems, and frequent updates, which requires significant administrative effort and lacks efficient rollback mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A software-based management control plane with a version-controlled descriptive model allows enterprise customers to configure integrated services through a single user interface, enabling self-service instantiation and updates, with configuration records that allow for easy rollback to previous stable configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If individualized configuration settings are implemented for each enterprise customer, then customization and adaptability are improved, but device complexity and administrative effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecustomizationVSAvoidadministrative effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service configuration through automated service instantiation. Configuration records are automatically created and managed by the system rather than requiring manual administrative configuration for each customer instance, reducing administrative effort while maintaining customization capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Configuration templates and descriptive models are prepared in advance with pre-defined settings and integration parameters. This preliminary structuring of configuration options allows rapid instantiation of customized instances without requiring complex real-time configuration decisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If frequent updates and modifications are made to contact center services, then adaptability and feature availability are improved, but system stability and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeature availabilityVSAvoidsystem stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements rollback mechanisms that preserve previous stable configuration states. When updates are applied, the system maintains the ability to revert to prior versions if issues arise, cushioning against potential stability problems from frequent updates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

Configuration records are copied and versioned when updates occur. Each instance maintains a copy of its configuration state, allowing updates to be applied to copies while preserving the original stable state as a fallback option

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Manufacturing precision

If manual configuration and management processes are used, then configuration precision is improved, but productivity and deployment speed worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration precisionVSAvoiddeployment speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Manual mechanical configuration processes are replaced with automated software-based configuration management. The system automatically instantiates services, applies configuration records, and manages integrations, maintaining precision through structured data models while dramatically improving deployment speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses parameterized configuration records that define service behavior through structured parameters. By changing parameters in configuration templates rather than manually adjusting each setting, the system achieves both precision (through controlled parameter definitions) and speed (through automated parameter application)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Adaptability or versatility

If comprehensive integration with external systems is implemented, then functionality and versatility are improved, but device complexity and configuration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidconfiguration difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The configuration system implements universal integration capabilities through standardized configuration records that can represent multiple external system integrations using the same structural framework. This allows comprehensive functionality while reducing configuration difficulty through a unified approach to diverse integrations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20240385907A1Management control plane for instance of an omnichannel cloud-based contact center

Publication Date: 2024.11.21 TWILIO INC

AI summary

Described herein is a management control plane for a cloud-based contact center service. The management control plane includes a descriptive model and a user interface for configuring individual instances of the contact center service for use by a customer. The descriptive model provides a unified representation of all of the configuration settings for all integrated services comprising the contact center service. When instantiating a configured instance of the contact center service, a configuration process will communicate the appropriate configuration settings to each integrated service, for the instance, and return a configuration status. The configuration settings and the configuration status of each integrated service are stored in a version-controlled manner, so that subsequent configuration changes may be rolled back if problems occur.