Container Utility for Dynamic Resource Allocation in Pod Hosting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Legacy applications designed for traditional operating systems are not optimized for resource utilization in container-based hosting environments, leading to overprovisioning and underprovisioning of resources, which results in inefficient scalability and performance degradation.

Innovation Solution

A container utility is injected into the pod to collect operational statistics, which are processed by a rule execution engine to identify suboptimal resource usage, allowing for automatic or recommended adjustments to resource allocations and limits, enabling efficient resource management and optimization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If applications are designed to execute within traditional operating systems with unrestricted resource access, then ease of operation is improved, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a container execution environment as an intermediary layer between the application and the host operating system. This container acts as a mediator that provides restricted resource access to legacy applications, enabling them to run in containerized environments with controlled resource allocation while maintaining their original design assumptions of unrestricted access. The container utility injected into the pod serves as another intermediary that monitors and manages resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If resource allocations are increased to ensure adequate performance, then reliability is improved, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveperformanceVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where resource limits and requests are not fixed but can be adjusted based on actual application behavior. The system continuously monitors operational statistics and uses rule execution engines to dynamically modify resource allocations, scaling resources up or down according to actual demand rather than static overprovisioning, thereby maintaining performance while improving utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes a feedback loop where the container utility collects operational statistics about application resource consumption, feeds this information to rule execution engines, which then generate recommendations or automatically adjust resource allocations. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures resources are allocated based on actual usage patterns rather than estimates, optimizing the balance between performance and utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of energy

If resource allocations are decreased to improve utilization efficiency, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidperformance
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary actions by establishing resource requests and limits in advance, and by proactively monitoring operational statistics to detect trends before performance degradation occurs. The system prepares remedial actions in advance and can automatically adjust resources before reliability issues manifest, preventing performance problems rather than reacting to them after they occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts resource allocations based on real-time monitoring of operational statistics, allowing resource limits to be flexibly modified according to actual application needs. This dynamic approach prevents both overprovisioning and underprovisioning by continuously adapting resource allocation to match actual usage patterns, thereby maintaining reliability while improving utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Productivity

If automated resource management is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource management efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically monitors its own resource consumption, detects suboptimal configurations, and applies remedial actions without requiring manual intervention. The container utility and rule execution engines work autonomously to optimize resource allocation, reducing the need for manual resource management while improving productivity. The system essentially manages itself through automated feedback loops and self-correcting mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12056478B2Application hosting, monitoring, and management within a container hosting environment
Publication Date: 2024.08.06 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC
  • US12056478B2 patent drawing
  • US12056478B2 patent drawing
  • US12056478B2 patent drawing

AI summary

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for application deployment, monitoring, and management within a container hosting environment are provided. A service collector acquires operational statistics of an application hosted within a container managed by a pod of the container hosting environment. A rule execution engine executes a set of rules to process the operational statistics. In response to the set of rules identifying suboptimal operation of the application, a remedial action is created to address the suboptimal operation of the application. The remedial action is either automatically executed to address the suboptimal operation or is used to generate a recommendation for how to address the suboptimal operation.