Microservices Print Shop Visualization UI
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of print management systems in high-speed, high-volume operations leads to lengthy development and deployment times due to monolithic software architectures, making it difficult to rapidly update user interfaces (UI) to match evolving user requirements and customer-specific needs.
Innovation Solution
A microservices-based architecture is implemented, where separate microservices provide UI device panes and job management services, allowing for independent development and deployment, enabling rapid UI design changes and customization without affecting other system processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a monolithic software architecture is used for print management, then system stability and integration are maintained, but UI design changes and deployments become time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monolithic print management software into separate microservices, with the UI microservice independently handling interface rendering and display. This segmentation allows the UI to be developed, modified, and deployed independently from other system components, enabling rapid UI updates without affecting core print management functions and reducing deployment time while maintaining system stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a monolithic software architecture is used for print management, then system integration is maintained, but development and deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the software architecture into independent microservices, extracting the UI functionality as a separate deployable unit. This reduces the complexity of UI customization and deployment while maintaining overall system integration through standardized communication protocols between microservices.
Solution Approach 2:
The UI microservice is designed as a universal, independently deployable component that can serve multiple print management functions across different devices and contexts. This multi-functional design simplifies UI customization and deployment while maintaining compatibility with diverse print production environments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If UI changes are made in a monolithic system, then system consistency is maintained, but validation time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent isolates UI functionality into a separate microservice with independent deployment capabilities. This segmentation enables targeted validation of UI changes without requiring comprehensive system-wide validation, reducing validation time and cost while maintaining system reliability through controlled inter-service communication interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
Print shop operations may be visualized graphically to show relationships between a stream of incoming print jobs and a group of available print production devices, such as printing and finishing machines. A visualization process is performed with microservices to generate UI device panes, which form elements of a graphic user interface from which print shop operation can be monitored or controlled. Each microservice corresponds a different one of the print production devices. This can allow for rapid adjustments and customization of the UI, as may be needed due to user feedback, change in user requirements, and introduction of new print production devices to the print shop. Information may be added to the graphic user interface in combination with the UI device panes to facilitate assignment of print jobs to particular print production devices and/or to show which devices can be used sequentially or in parallel to complete the print jobs.