Multi-Cloud Metadata Driver for API Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing multi-cloud management systems face significant challenges in efficiently adapting and integrating cloud services from different providers due to differences in API parameters and formats, leading to increased development workloads and maintenance difficulties as the number of cloud services grows.

Innovation Solution

A data processing method and multi-cloud management system that utilizes metadata drivers to convert service requests and responses between meta services and cloud services, eliminating the need for one-by-one code customization and deployment by establishing a mapping relationship between metadata formats, thereby simplifying the adaptation process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If cloud services from multiple providers are introduced to cover all enterprise regions, then service coverage is improved, but the complexity of adapting and integrating each cloud service's API increases exponentially

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice coverageVSAvoidAPI integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a meta service as an intermediary layer between enterprise applications and multiple cloud service providers. This meta service provides a unified API interface that abstracts the underlying differences in various cloud providers' APIs, enabling service coverage across multiple regions without requiring direct integration with each provider's unique API format

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The meta service is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple cloud service providers through a single standardized interface. It can adapt to different cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.) without requiring separate customization for each, thus reducing integration complexity while maintaining broad service coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If each cloud service API is customized and developed one-by-one, then integration accuracy is improved, but the development workload and maintenance difficulty increase exponentially

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegration accuracyVSAvoiddevelopment efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The meta service implements a universal adaptation mechanism that can handle multiple cloud service APIs through a single standardized interface. It uses configuration files to define mappings between the unified API and various cloud providers' APIs, eliminating the need for one-by-one customization and significantly improving development efficiency while maintaining integration accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses configurable parameters in metadata files to adapt the meta service to different cloud providers. By changing configuration parameters rather than rewriting code, the system maintains precise integration with each cloud service's specific API requirements while avoiding the exponential growth of development workload

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If more cloud services are introduced, then service capability is improved, but the amount of code required for adaptation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice capabilityVSAvoidcode quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of writing custom adaptation code for each cloud service, the patent uses metadata configuration files that describe the API mappings. These configuration files serve as a lightweight copy mechanism that captures the essential adaptation logic without requiring substantial code, allowing service capability to expand without proportionally increasing code quantity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4231151B1Data processing method, multi-cloud management system, and related device
Publication Date: 2024.08.21 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4231151B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4231151B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4231151B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

This application provides a data processing method, a multi-cloud management system, and a related device, to implement lightweight access of a multi-cloud service through a metadata driver in the multi-cloud management system. This reduces a workload of adapting a meta service and a cloud service when the cloud service is introduced. The method may include: first receiving a service request for invoking the meta service, where the service request matches metadata of the meta service, and the meta service is a service provided for a user; then converting the service request into a cloud service request packet based on metadata of a cloud service corresponding to the meta service, where the cloud service request packet matches the metadata of the meta service; sending the cloud service request packet to invoke the cloud service; receiving a cloud service response packet, where the cloud service response packet is an invocation result obtained by invoking the cloud service; and then converting the cloud service response packet into a service response that matches the metadata of the meta service and sending the service response.