Centralized Configuration Management for Microservices Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual configuration of microservices in network management systems is resource-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error, especially when configuring multiple services, which can lead to inefficiencies and performance issues.
Innovation Solution
A centralized configuration management system (CCM) that identifies and generates configuration parameters based on default and customized data models, allowing for automated configuration of microservices without administrator intervention, thereby reducing resource expenditure and improving configuration speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration of microservices is performed, then configuration accuracy can be maintained through administrator review, but resource consumption increases and configuration time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration management system performs self-configuration by automatically generating configuration files from data models without requiring manual administrator intervention. The system identifies required configuration parameters, retrieves values from data models, and generates configuration files autonomously, thereby eliminating the trade-off between manual review accuracy and configuration speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual configuration process with an automated computational system. Instead of administrators manually configuring each microservice, the system uses automated processes to parse data models, extract configuration parameters, and generate configuration files, substituting human labor with machine-based automation while maintaining accuracy through structured data models.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration of multiple microservices is performed, then individual service customization is possible, but resource expenditure increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal data model structure that can serve multiple microservices simultaneously. By defining configuration parameters once in a standardized data model format, the system can generate configuration files for multiple services across different functional domains (e.g., authentication, logging, caching) without requiring separate manual configuration processes, thereby reducing overall resource consumption while maintaining customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates configuration files by copying and instantiating parameters from standardized data models. Instead of manually configuring each microservice from scratch, the system replicates configuration patterns defined in data models across multiple services, reducing the computational resources required for configuration while preserving the ability to customize individual services through data model modifications.
3Productivity
If automated configuration is implemented, then configuration speed increases and resources are conserved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces data models as intermediary structures between the configuration system and microservices. These data models serve as standardized templates that define configuration parameters and their relationships, simplifying the automation process by providing a structured intermediate layer that the configuration system can systematically process without requiring complex service-specific logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by focusing on parameter standardization rather than process complexity. By defining configuration as a set of standardized parameters in data models, the system transforms the complex task of microservice configuration into a simpler parameter instantiation process, where the same automated mechanism handles different services by simply changing the input data models rather than the configuration logic itself.
Data Source
AI summary
A centralized configuration management system (CCM) may receive, from an NMS device, a request concerning a configuration for a microservice associated with the NMS device. The CCM may identify, based on the request, a first data model associated with default configuration information. The CCM may identify, based on the request, a second data model associated with customized configuration information. The CCM may generate, based on the first data model and the second data model, a response that includes at least one configuration parameter. The CCM may send the response to the NMS device to allow the microservice to be configured based on the at least one configuration parameter.