Container Service Deployment in I/O Device Clusters
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of services in industrial Input/Output (I/O) devices is cumbersome and time-consuming due to the need to separate and individually deploy various information and services across different software, file systems, or applications, especially when I/O devices are located in different places or have compatibility issues.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing container technology, specifically Docker engine and Docker swarm mode, to deploy services in a cluster of I/O devices by obtaining a stack file that specifies device constraints, sending deployment commands, and retrieving service images from a registry, allowing for efficient deployment across multiple I/O devices with unique identifiers and environment data configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If services are separated into different software, file systems, or applications and deployed individually, then deployment can be done in a structured manner, but the deployment process becomes long and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate deployment processes into a single unified containerization approach. By packaging services, configuration data, tuning data, calibration procedures, applicative programs, runtimes, and firmware into a single container image, the system eliminates the need for individual deployment of each component, thereby reducing deployment time while maintaining structured organization through the container manifest format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-packaging all necessary service components, configuration data, and dependencies into a container image before deployment. This advance preparation includes compiling the service code, configuring environment variables, and organizing file structures in advance, so that the actual deployment process only requires pushing the pre-prepared image to the registry and pulling it to the target device, significantly reducing on-site deployment time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If I/O devices are updated individually across different locations, then each device can be updated separately, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a standardized container image format that can be deployed across multiple I/O devices regardless of their location or specific configuration. The container manifest allows for device-specific parameter customization while maintaining a universal deployment mechanism. This enables the same update process to be applied universally across distributed devices, reducing the time and effort required for individual device updates while preserving adaptability through environment variables and configuration overrides.
3Adaptability or versatility
If services are deployed in distributed I/O devices with compatibility requirements, then device-specific configurations can be maintained, but deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing device-specific configurations and compatibility requirements to be addressed at the local level within the container manifest and environment variables, while the overall deployment process remains centralized and simplified. Each I/O device can have its specific constraints, hardware configurations, and compatibility requirements specified in its own container configuration section, enabling tailored deployment without increasing overall system complexity. The container engine handles device-specific details locally while the deployment manager maintains a unified view.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for deploying a service in a cluster of Input/Output devices comprising several I/O devices comprising a container engine. The method can be performed via a container client. A stack file is obtained that identifies at least one service and specifies at least one device constraint. Then, a command is sent based on the stack file, to deploy a service on a container stack of at least one first I/O device among the IO devices of the cluster if the at least one first I/O device matches the device constraint.