Declarative Configuration Groups for Application Server Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The configuration of associations between applications, services, and topology units in application servers is labor-intensive and prone to errors, especially in complex modern environments where multiple components need to be configured separately to share resources.
Innovation Solution
A declarative model is used to define applications and services within groups, topology units, and map these groups, allowing for automated configuration processing in XML to reflect associations between applications and services and topology units, enabling deployment upon boot-up and providing an application server-neutral paradigm for automated targeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual point-to-point configuration is used to associate applications and services with topology units, then configuration precision can be maintained, but the labor intensity and time required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces configuration groups as an intermediary layer between applications/services and topology units. Instead of direct point-to-point configuration, the system uses configuration groups to mediate the association, allowing multiple applications and services to be grouped together and associated with topology units in a single operation. This reduces configuration time while maintaining precision through the structured group-based approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple configuration operations into unified configuration groups. By merging related applications and services into groups that can be associated with topology units collectively, the system reduces the number of individual configuration steps required, thereby significantly reducing configuration time while maintaining the same level of association precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration is used for each application and service, then configuration accuracy can be ensured, but the complexity of the configuration process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration process into hierarchical levels: configuration groups containing multiple applications and services, and topology units that host these groups. This segmentation allows administrators to manage configurations at the group level rather than individually configuring each application and service, thereby reducing configuration complexity while maintaining accuracy through the structured hierarchical approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal configuration groups that can contain multiple types of applications and services, and can be associated with various topology units. This multi-functional approach allows a single configuration group to serve multiple purposes and be deployed to different topology units, reducing the overall configuration complexity while ensuring accurate associations through the standardized group-based interface.
3Extent of automation
If generic scripts are used for configuration, then some automation is achieved, but the scripts must be manually customized for each specific configuration issue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service configuration through configuration groups that can be automatically associated with topology units based on predefined rules and criteria. The system performs automatic targeting and scoping of applications and services to appropriate topology units without requiring manual script customization, thereby maintaining high automation levels while significantly improving ease of operation through the intuitive group-based interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic configuration groups that can adapt to different deployment scenarios automatically. Rather than requiring static, pre-customized scripts for each configuration issue, the system dynamically determines the appropriate topology unit associations based on the contents of configuration groups and current system state, maintaining automation while eliminating the need for manual script customization.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an approach for using a declarative model to configure domains, where the declarative model allows definition of applications and services within groups, definition of topology units in groups and a mapping between the application and service groups and topology groups. Processing of this model, embodied in XML, involves automatically changing the application server configuration to reflect the association of applications and services to the topology units, enabling the application server to deploy applications and services to servers, clusters, and other elements upon boot-up of the components.