Endpoint Policy Control via Aggregated Parameters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current endpoint management approaches in large data processing environments are not scalable and reactive, failing to effectively manage hundreds of thousands of endpoints due to limitations in resource management tools.

Innovation Solution

A method and system where one or more processors store policies with activities conditioned by aggregated parameters, collecting local parameters from endpoints, aggregating them, and distributing the aggregated parameters to apply policies, allowing endpoints to execute activities based on aggregated data, enhancing scalability and reactivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If current resource management tools are used to manage endpoints, then basic management functions are provided, but the system is not scalable and reactive to large numbers of endpoints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveendpoint management efficiencyVSAvoidscalability to large numbers of endpoints

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments endpoint management by introducing policy-based control units that can be independently deployed and executed on individual endpoints. Policies are divided into conditional rules and activities that can be evaluated and executed separately, enabling scalable management of large endpoint populations without requiring centralized control of every management decision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables endpoints to autonomously evaluate policies and execute activities based on local conditions and received aggregated parameters. Each endpoint becomes self-sufficient in applying management rules without requiring continuous centralized intervention, improving both scalability and reactivity to local conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If centralized control is used to manage all endpoints, then comprehensive control is achieved, but the system loses reactivity and scalability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecentralized control capabilityVSAvoidreactivity to endpoint conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-defines policies with conditional rules and activities that are prepared in advance and distributed to endpoints. This preliminary configuration enables endpoints to immediately react to conditions without waiting for centralized analysis and response, achieving both centralized policy control and local reactivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces aggregated parameters as intermediaries between centralized monitoring and local endpoint decisions. These aggregated parameters convey essential system-state information to endpoints, enabling local reactive decisions while maintaining centralized oversight through the policy definition process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If detailed local parameters are collected from all endpoints, then comprehensive monitoring is achieved, but system complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of endpoint informationVSAvoidparameter aggregation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential aggregated parameters needed for policy evaluation from the complete set of available local parameters. By selecting and collecting only the relevant aggregated metrics rather than all possible local parameters, the system maintains comprehensive monitoring capability while reducing data collection complexity and resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Speed

If policies are executed locally on each endpoint, then reactivity is improved, but consistency across the system may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy execution speedVSAvoidsystem-wide policy consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses universal aggregated parameters that have the same meaning and impact across all endpoints. By base conditioning on these common parameters rather than endpoint-specific local parameters, the system ensures that the same policy conditions trigger the same activities across different endpoints, maintaining system-wide consistency while enabling fast local execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10985987B2Control of activities executed by endpoints based on conditions involving aggregated parameters

Publication Date: 2021.04.20 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A method and system. One or more local parameters are collected from one or more corresponding endpoints. Each policy of one or more policies includes an indication of one or more activities for execution on the corresponding endpoints. At least one of the activities of the policies is conditioned by a condition based on one or more aggregated parameters. Each aggregated parameter depends on at least one of the one or more local parameters. The local parameters are aggregated into the aggregated parameters. Each aggregated parameter is distributed at least to the corresponding endpoints of each policy including any activity conditioned on the aggregated parameter. At least the corresponding policies are sent to the endpoints to cause each endpoint to apply each corresponding policy by collecting any aggregated parameters of the policy on the endpoint and executing the activities of the policy according to the corresponding aggregated parameters.