Microservice Container Deployment via Shared Binary and Descriptor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current deployment systems require significant pipeline processing, memory usage, and time to build, test, and support customized deployments of microservices by generating separate containers for each customer, which is inefficient and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

A vendor deployment system sends a single binary image containing all microservices to customers, accompanied by a customizable deployment descriptor that activates only the desired microservices using flags, eliminating the need for separate containers and reducing pipeline processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate containers are generated for each customer deployment, then customization is achieved, but deployment time and resource usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment customizationVSAvoiddeployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the deployment configuration into two parts: a shared base binary image containing all microservices, and customer-specific deployment descriptors that activate only the required microservices. This segmentation allows customization without requiring separate container builds for each customer, thereby reducing deployment time while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal base binary image that contains all microservices and can serve multiple customers. The deployment descriptor acts as a configuration layer that adapts this universal image to specific customer needs by enabling/disabling microservices via flags, eliminating the need to build separate containers for each customer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate containers are generated for each customer deployment, then customization is achieved, but memory usage and pipeline processing increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment customizationVSAvoidmemory usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges all customer-specific microservice configurations into a single shared binary image. Instead of maintaining separate container images for each customer, the system combines all microservices into one image and uses deployment descriptors to selectively activate services, thereby reducing memory usage and pipeline processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If separate containers are generated for each customer deployment, then customization is achieved, but error probability increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment customizationVSAvoiddeployment error rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses deployment descriptors as lightweight configuration copies that reference the shared binary image. Instead of copying entire container images for each customer, the system copies only the small deployment descriptor files containing activation flags, which significantly reduces the risk of errors during the deployment process and improves reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Productivity

If a single binary image with all microservices is used, then deployment speed improves, but resource usage during runtime may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidruntime resource usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary microservices from the shared binary image based on customer requirements specified in the deployment descriptor. The container runtime dynamically loads and executes only the activated microservices, ensuring that while deployment is fast using a single image, runtime resource usage is optimized by not loading unnecessary services into memory.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11995425B2Microservice container deployment system

Publication Date: 2024.05.28 TOSHIBA GLOBAL COMMERCE SOLUTIONS HLDG

AI summary

Embodiments herein describe a deployment strategy where a vendor deployment system sends to each customer site the same binary that defines all the microservices offered by the vendor deployment system. That is, the vendor deployment system can build one binary image of its platform (which has all the microservices) that is deployed to every customer site. The vendor also provides a deployment descriptor that is used during runtime to activate the microservices intended for use at the customer site. In this manner, the vendor deployment system can generate a customized deployment without having to build a new binary by manipulating the data or flags in the deployment descriptor.