Converged Infrastructure Platform for Containerized Workloads
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of Linux containers in information processing systems faces challenges, particularly in efficiently implementing open source software applications, due to the need for a converged infrastructure platform that supports containerized workloads.
Innovation Solution
A converged infrastructure platform with preconfigured middleware layers, including a container hub, container engine, and software-defined storage, is implemented to support containerized workloads, utilizing commodity hardware such as bare-metal or cloud-based virtual hardware, and preconfigured containers for open source software applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional hardware-centric approaches are used for container deployment, then deployment flexibility is limited, but infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent preconfigures containers with necessary software applications, dependencies, and runtime environments before deployment. This preliminary preparation includes installing open source software, configuring system libraries, and setting up runtime parameters, thereby eliminating the need for complex hardware-specific configurations during deployment and improving deployment flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal container images that can run across different hardware platforms and operating systems. By packaging applications with all their dependencies in a standardized container format, the system achieves hardware independence, allowing the same container to be deployed on diverse infrastructure without increasing complexity
2Loss of time
If containers are configured for each open source software application individually, then deployment time increases, but deployment precision improves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple software components, dependencies, and configurations into a single integrated container image. By combining the application binary, system libraries, runtime environment, and configuration files into one unified package, the system reduces deployment time while maintaining precise control over the software stack through the container's immutable configuration
3Productivity
If preconfigured containers are implemented, then deployment efficiency improves, but middleware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses container image copying and replication to efficiently deploy preconfigured containers across multiple hosts. Instead of recreating complex software environments on each system, the patent copies immutable container images that contain all necessary configurations, thereby improving deployment efficiency while managing middleware complexity through standardized image management
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus in one embodiment comprises a processing platform that includes a plurality of processing devices each comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The processing platform is configured to implement converged infrastructure including a plurality of containers. The converged infrastructure comprises one or more middleware layers configured to support containerized workloads running in respective ones of the containers using underlying commodity hardware. The one or more middleware layers comprise a container hub having a plurality of preconfigured containers for use with respective particular types of containerized workloads, a container engine adapted to provide the preconfigured containers for the container hub, and software-defined storage configured to provide storage resources for allocation by the container engine to the preconfigured containers. The preconfigured containers of the container hub illustratively comprise a plurality of open source software containers preconfigured for running respective particular types of open source software.