Multi-Cloud Proxy for Metadata Tag Normalization and Sync

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cloud service providers offer disparate services and assets, making it challenging to effectively manage and normalize metadata tagging across multiple hosting platforms, especially when not all platforms support native metadata tagging.

Innovation Solution

A multi-cloud network proxy (MNP) provides centralized control over metadata tagging, dynamically generating technical component request interfaces with prioritized metadata tags, and synchronizing metadata across various cloud service providers, regardless of their native metadata tagging capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If centralized metadata control is implemented across multi-cloud platforms, then metadata consistency and management efficiency are improved, but system complexity and integration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemetadata consistencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a metadata service as an intermediary component that mediates between cloud consumers and cloud infrastructure. This service abstracts the complexity of multi-cloud metadata management by providing a unified interface for metadata operations, handling platform-specific variations internally while presenting consistent functionality to users. The metadata service acts as a buffer layer that translates between different cloud platforms' metadata formats and a standardized internal representation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The metadata service is designed with universal functionality to work across multiple cloud platforms simultaneously. It implements platform-agnostic metadata operations that can function with or without native metadata tagging support on the underlying infrastructure. The service provides consistent metadata management capabilities regardless of which cloud platform is being accessed, making the system adaptable to diverse cloud environments without requiring separate solutions for each platform.

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

2Reliability

If native metadata tagging support is required on all platforms, then metadata management reliability is improved, but platform compatibility and accessibility worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemetadata management reliabilityVSAvoidplatform compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service functionality where the metadata service automatically detects whether a cloud platform provides native metadata tagging support and adapts its operations accordingly. When native support is available, the service utilizes it directly; when it is not available, the service implements alternative mechanisms to achieve the same metadata management goals. This self-adapting behavior ensures reliable metadata management across platforms without requiring manual configuration or platform-specific code paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The metadata service dynamically changes its operational parameters based on the capabilities of the underlying cloud platform. It monitors platform features and adjusts its metadata management strategy accordingly, switching between different operational modes. This parameter-based adaptation allows the system to maintain reliability on platforms with native support while remaining compatible with platforms that lack such support, effectively resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If comprehensive metadata tagging is enforced across all resources, then resource discovery and management are improved, but operational overhead and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource discovery efficiencyVSAvoidoperational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The metadata service implements local quality by applying metadata tagging selectively based on resource characteristics and cloud consumer requirements. Rather than uniformly tagging all resources with the same level of detail, the service tailors the metadata approach to each specific resource type and context. This localized metadata strategy ensures that resources requiring detailed tracking receive comprehensive tagging while less critical resources use simplified metadata approaches, reducing overall operational overhead while maintaining discovery efficiency for important resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4036727B1Multi-cloud network proxy for control and normalization of tagging data
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD
  • EP4036727B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4036727B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4036727B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provisioning resources into the cloud is a constantly increasing technical challenge as more cloud service providers emerge, each offering disparate computing platforms, services, assets, supported technical components, and other features. A multi-cloud network proxy controls and normalizes the tagging data applicable across the multiple cloud service providers. The network proxy provides a central control mechanism for discovering, monitoring, and updating complex tagging data applied to the technical components provisioned with the cloud service providers. The network proxy also dynamically generates technical component request interfaces that include specifically prioritized metadata tags.