Enterprise Catalog Service for Centralized Software Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large enterprises face challenges in managing and updating desktop and server applications across multiple locations, leading to complexity, compliance risks, and inefficiencies in cost control and software usage within traditional on-premise infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
An enterprise catalog service that allows administrators to create and manage catalogs of software products, providing standardized access, compliance enforcement, and cost control through a service provider platform, enabling on-demand delivery of applications and server products with integrated identity and access management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If applications are physically installed on each machine in traditional on-premise infrastructure, then applications can be deployed across multiple locations, but deployment and management becomes difficult, complex and requires expensive infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based application delivery controller as an intermediary between the application source and end-user devices. This controller manages application deployment, streaming, and updates centrally, eliminating the need for physical installation on each machine while reducing deployment complexity and infrastructure costs.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of physically installing applications on each device, the system creates and manages virtual copies of applications that can be streamed or downloaded on-demand to end-user devices. This allows applications to be deployed across multiple locations without requiring expensive on-premise infrastructure at each site.
2Reliability
If updates and patches are deployed in traditional on-premise environments, then application security and functionality can be maintained, but user productivity is affected and deployment becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs updates and patches in advance on the central application images stored in the cloud, before they are delivered to end-user devices. This preliminary action ensures that updates are ready and tested before deployment, maintaining security and functionality without interrupting user productivity during the update process.
Solution Approach 2:
The application delivery controller implements periodic background updates that occur during off-peak hours or without user interaction. Updates are delivered in periodic cycles rather than forcing users to stop work, thus maintaining both application reliability and user productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If legacy applications are maintained on older operation system versions, then application compatibility is preserved, but system security and support become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts legacy applications to run on modern operating systems through virtualization and containerization technologies. The application delivery controller can dynamically adjust the runtime environment to maintain compatibility with older applications while running them on secure, supported modern OS versions, thus preserving compatibility without sacrificing security.
4Ease of operation
If individual business units procure their own software in uncontrolled fashion, then business units can access necessary applications, but compliance risks increase and cost control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The application delivery controller implements feedback mechanisms that track application usage, licensing compliance, and cost metrics across all business units. This feedback loop provides real-time visibility into software procurement and usage patterns, enabling centralized compliance enforcement and cost control while maintaining ease of application access for authorized users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal application delivery platform that serves all business units through a single centralized system. This multi-functional platform handles application distribution, compliance management, cost tracking, and user authentication in one unified system, replacing multiple separate procurement processes and ensuring organization-wide compliance and cost control.
Data Source
AI summary
A service provider system may implement an enterprise catalog service that manages catalogs or portfolios of software products (e.g., desktop applications and server products) on behalf of service provider customer organizations. Through the enterprise catalog service, an administrator in a customer organization may discover, select, and ingest products (e.g., based on their features, pricing, and terms), and may add them to catalogs or portfolios for subsequent use by end users in the organization. The administrator may apply constraints on product use and limit product access to particular end users. The products may include third party products that are made available through the enterprise catalog service and a customer's own applications. The enterprise catalog service may monitor usage of third party products and bill the customer organization. Products managed by the enterprise catalog service may be deployed through an application fulfillment platform or resource stack management platform.