End-to-end Infrastructure Topology Stitching via Intermediary Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In complex computing environments with multiple interconnected layers, achieving end-to-end visibility and status evaluation across the infrastructure stack is challenging due to opacity between layers, leading to difficulties in collecting and integrating configuration information.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves cross-domain configuration extraction, topology mapping, and representation, where configuration information is collected from each layer, parsed, and stitched together using backend systems to generate a comprehensive end-to-end topology, leveraging metadata-driven approaches and standardized formats to accommodate varying layers and incremental changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If configuration information is collected from each layer independently, then data collection is simplified and manageable, but end-to-end visibility and integrated status evaluation cannot be achieved due to opacity between layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that collects configuration information from each layer independently through standardized interfaces, then integrates this data to produce end-to-end topology visibility. The intermediary translates and correlates configuration data across layers without requiring direct inter-layer communication, thus maintaining operational simplicity while achieving comprehensive visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the infrastructure stack into distinct layers (compute, storage, network, virtualization) and collects configuration information from each layer independently. This segmentation allows each layer to be managed separately while the intermediary system integrates the segmented data to provide holistic end-to-end visibility.
2Loss of information
If a comprehensive end-to-end topology is generated by integrating all layer configurations, then full visibility is achieved, but system complexity increases due to multiple disparate layers and integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal configuration data model that can represent multiple disparate infrastructure layers through a common schema. This universal model allows the integration system to handle different layer types (compute, storage, network, virtualization) uniformly, reducing complexity by eliminating the need for separate integration logic for each layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms configuration information from various layers into a standardized parameter format, changing the representation of data across layers to a common parameter structure. This parameter transformation simplifies integration by allowing direct comparison and correlation of configuration elements across disparate layers without complex mapping logic.
3Measurement precision
If the topology representation is updated to reflect incremental changes, then the view remains current and accurate, but processing overhead increases with frequent updates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic polling or event-driven triggers that detect configuration changes at each layer. Instead of continuous monitoring, changes are detected at specific intervals or upon occurrence, and the topology representation is updated only when changes are detected. This periodic action maintains topology accuracy while minimizing unnecessary processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary change detection and filtering before full topology updates. Configuration changes are pre-processed and validated before being applied to the end-to-end topology representation, ensuring accuracy while reducing processing time by avoiding unnecessary full-rebuild operations.
Data Source
AI summary
End-to-end topology stitching and representation is described. An example includes instructions for receiving, at a server, a set of configuration data for an infrastructure stack, the set of configuration data including configuration data for each of a plurality of domains of the infrastructure stack; parsing the received set of configuration data; stitching together an end-to-end topology for the plurality of domains of the infrastructure stack based at least in part on the parsed set of configuration data; and generating a representation of the end-to-end topology of the infrastructure stack.