Two-Way IaC Synchronization via Runtime State Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) deployments face challenges such as manual bug discovery, configuration drift, and the need for manual updates, which can lead to inconsistencies and increased complexity, especially when managing mutable infrastructure and maintaining separate templates and instances.
Innovation Solution
A cloud management framework with a model-driven, two-way continuous integration (CI) framework that synchronizes IaC templates and instances through run-time state synchronization (RTSS) and automatic source specification update (ASSU), using a model-at-runtime (MART) instance and notation-model mapping to propagate changes and ensure consistency between the running system and deployment specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual updates and bug discovery methods are used in IaC deployments, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but configuration drift and inconsistencies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automated run-time state synchronization that automatically detects changes in the running system and propagates them back to update IaC templates and instances without manual intervention. The framework continuously monitors infrastructure state and performs automatic updates, eliminating the need for manual bug discovery and configuration management while maintaining consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the run-time state of infrastructure and comparing it against the desired state defined in IaC templates. When drift is detected, the system feeds this information back through the synchronization process to automatically correct configurations, ensuring consistency between actual and intended infrastructure states.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate templates and instances are managed independently, then management flexibility is improved, but synchronization complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management of templates and instances through a unified two-way synchronization framework that coordinates changes between both artifacts simultaneously. The run-time state synchronization process integrates template updates and instance updates in a coordinated manner, ensuring that modifications propagate consistently across the entire IaC lifecycle without requiring separate manual synchronization steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining transformation rules and update strategies in the synchronization framework. Before actual changes are applied, the system prepares update plans that coordinate template and instance modifications, ensuring that synchronization operations are executed efficiently and consistently without manual intervention.
3Reliability
If automated run-time state synchronization is implemented, then configuration drift is reduced, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary synchronization framework that mediates between the running system and IaC artifacts. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of two-way synchronization by implementing standardized processes for detecting changes, comparing states, and propagating updates. The framework acts as a buffer that manages complexity internally while presenting a simplified interface for configuration management.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization system is segmented into distinct functional components: run-time state monitoring, change detection, comparison logic, and update propagation. Each component handles a specific aspect of the synchronization process, making the overall system more manageable and maintainable despite the automated functionality's inherent complexity.
4Extent of automation
If two-way synchronization framework is used, then manual intervention is minimized, but processing overhead and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action through scheduled run-time state synchronization operations that occur at defined intervals or triggered by specific events. Rather than continuously monitoring and processing all changes, the framework performs synchronization at periodic checkpoints, reducing processing overhead while maintaining effective automation for critical configuration management tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are techniques for two-way synchronization of infrastructure-as-code templates and instances, including a method comprising detecting changes to a run-time state of a system and, in response to detecting a change, triggering an update of a current run-time state model. The method may further comprise, in response to updating the run-time state model, comparing the updated model to a current model using a template in a local repository instantiated as the current model. The method may further comprise, in response to the comparison determining a structural difference between the updated model and the current model, merging the updated model and the current model into a new model; and updating a local clone of a repository of the template with the new model. The method may further comprise, in response to the comparison determining no structural difference between the updated model and the current model, pushing changes to a remote repository.