Container License Image Layer Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container license management systems face inefficiencies due to decentralized license allocation and maintenance across multiple containers, leading to complex operations and low management efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method where the container license management is integrated during container creation, with an image repository generating and adding a license image layer to the container image based on requested license information, ensuring validity verification and encryption, thus enabling centralized license configuration and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If license configuration is performed at container service level with separate license management for each container, then each container can have its own license control, but the license management workload becomes excessively large and operation and maintenance becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges license management with container image management by integrating the license configuration module into the container management background daemon. This allows license information to be embedded directly into container images during the image creation process, eliminating the need for separate license management systems for each container service.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs license configuration in advance during container image creation rather than at runtime. The container management background daemon embeds license information into the container image before deployment, so that when containers are instantiated, they automatically inherit the embedded license configuration without requiring additional license management operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If license allocation is performed at service level with large quantity of containers, then each service can have customized license management, but license maintenance cannot be performed centrally leading to low management efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal license management mechanism that works across all container services through a common container management background daemon. This daemon provides multi-functional capabilities including license embedding during image creation, license validation at runtime, and centralized license maintenance, making the system adaptable to different services while maintaining centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The container management background daemon serves as an intermediary between the license management system and container services. It handles all license-related operations including generating license information, embedding it into container images, and validating licenses at runtime, thereby enabling centralized license maintenance while supporting multiple container services.
3Ease of operation
If decentralized license management is used across multiple containers, then each container can be independently managed, but the operation and maintenance complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables containers to self-configure with license information by embedding it directly into the container image. When a container is created from an image that contains embedded license information, the container automatically inherits and uses this license configuration without requiring external license management intervention,从而实现 independent container management with reduced operational complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a container license management method and an apparatus. The container license management method includes: receiving an image download request that includes information for requesting a license and that is sent by a container management background; obtaining an image according to the image download request; obtaining the information for requesting a license that is in the image download request, and generating a license image layer corresponding to the information for requesting a license; adding the license image layer to the obtained image; and sending, to the container management background, the image to which the license image layer is added, so that the container management background starts a container corresponding to the image, and detects whether the license image layer is valid. In the embodiments of the present invention, container license management efficiency can be improved.