Model-Driven Microservice Configuration Through Centralized Data Models
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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 inefficiencies are exacerbated by the need for network administrators to interact with client devices.
Innovation Solution
A centralized configuration management system (CCM) that utilizes data models to generate configuration parameters for microservices, reducing the need for manual intervention and enabling parallel configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual configuration of microservices is performed by network administrators interacting with client devices, then configuration can be customized and controlled, but computing resources are consumed, configuration time increases, and human error occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration management system enables self-service automation where the system automatically generates, validates, and applies microservice configurations without requiring manual administrator intervention. The automated configuration generation engine processes service definitions and produces configurations autonomously, eliminating the need for administrators to manually interact with client devices for routine configuration tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration validation and generation before deployment. The automated configuration generation engine creates configuration parameters in advance based on service definitions, and the validation mechanism checks for conflicts before applying configurations, preventing errors before they occur during actual deployment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration of multiple microservices is performed, then specific configuration requirements can be met, but configuration time is excessive and resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses service definitions as templates that can be copied and reused across multiple microservices. Once a service definition is created with specific configuration requirements, it can be replicated and automatically instantiated for multiple services, maintaining consistency and customization without repeating manual configuration work for each service.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated configuration generation engine serves multiple functions: it generates configurations for individual services, validates configurations across service boundaries, detects conflicts, and applies configurations. This multi-functional automation system handles diverse configuration requirements universally without requiring separate manual processes for each task.
3Extent of automation
If network administrators manually configure microservices by interacting with client devices, then configuration decisions can be made in real-time, but computing resources of client devices are expended
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration management system acts as an intermediary between service definitions and microservice deployments. It centralizes the configuration generation and validation processes, transferring the computational workload from distributed client devices to the centralized configuration management system. This eliminates the need for administrators to interact with client devices for configuration tasks.
4Reliability
If manual configuration processes are used for multiple microservices, then human oversight ensures correctness, but the process is resource-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated feedback mechanisms through validation that checks configuration parameters for conflicts and errors before deployment. The validation process provides immediate feedback on configuration correctness, and the automated generation engine can adjust configurations based on validation results, ensuring reliability without manual review while maintaining high throughput.
Data Source
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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.