Exalogic Middleware Platform for Java EE Resource Sharing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Large organizations face difficulties in interconnecting and sharing resources across their sprawling IT infrastructures, which are often fragmented across different computer hardware and software systems, with few all-in-one platforms effectively supporting such environments.

Innovation Solution

A middleware machine platform, referred to as Exalogic, combining high-performance hardware and application servers, featuring a massively parallel in-memory grid that can be quickly provisioned and scaled, incorporating Zero Buffer Copies, Scatter/Gather I/O, T3 Connections, and Lazy Deserialization, to enhance performance and efficiency in shared infrastructure environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional IT infrastructure components are interconnected to share resources, then resource sharing capability is improved, but system complexity and administration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource sharing capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines application servers, storage area networks, and InfiniBand networks into a single integrated middleware machine platform. This merging of previously separate infrastructure components into one unified system reduces administration complexity while maintaining resource sharing capabilities, directly resolving the technical contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If application servers are provisioned in traditional environments, then system stability is maintained, but provisioning time and scalability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprovisioning speedVSAvoidsystem stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The middleware machine platform is pre-configured with all necessary software environments, application servers, and networking components before deployment. This preliminary preparation enables rapid provisioning of new application servers without compromising system stability, as the pre-configured environment ensures consistent and reliable deployment patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated platform provides universal support for multiple application servers, storage systems, and networking protocols within a single standardized environment. This multi-functionality allows rapid provisioning across different workloads while maintaining system stability through a unified management approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If data is transferred through multiple buffer copies in traditional systems, then compatibility with standard protocols is maintained, but CPU utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCPU utilization efficiencyVSAvoiddata transfer complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary buffer copy operations from the data transfer path by implementing direct memory access mechanisms between the InfiniBand network interface and application memory spaces. This removal of redundant copying steps improves CPU utilization efficiency while the underlying direct memory access technology handles the complexity of data transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2616967B1System including a middleware machine environment
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 ORACLE INT CORP
  • EP2616967B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2616967B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2616967B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and method for providing a middleware machine or similar platform. In accordance with an embodiment the system (referred to herein in some implementations as "Exalogic") comprises a combination of high performance hardware, together with an application server or middleware environment, to provide a complete Java EE application server complex which includes a massively parallel in-memory grid, can be provisioned quickly, and can scale on demand. In accordance with an embodiment, the system can be deployed as a full, half, or quarter rack, or other configuration, that provides an application server grid, storage area network, and InfiniBand network, which support the execution of an application server, middleware or other functionality such as, for example, WebLogic Server, JRockit or Hotspot JVM, Oracle Linux or Solaris, and Oracle VM. Additional features of the system can include, e.g. Zero Buffer Copies, Scatter/Gather I/O, T3 Connections, and Lazy Deserialization.