Multi-Cloud Workload Management via Service Capability Model

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Solution Overview

Problem

IT administrators face challenges in managing workloads across multi-cloud environments due to the complexity of different service level agreements, technology infrastructures, and price points offered by various cloud service providers, which hinders efficient deployment and migration of workloads while ensuring SLA compliance.

Innovation Solution

A multi-cloud management system that collects information on services offered by providers, maintains a service capability model, validates SLA conformance, and generates recommendations for IT administrators to assist in workload management, deployment, and migration, using a cloud service broker and decision support system to optimize price and performance across multiple cloud environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If IT administrators manually manage workloads across multiple cloud service providers, then they can access diverse cloud services with different SLAs and price points, but the complexity of managing different service level agreements, technology infrastructures, and price points increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to access diverse cloud servicesVSAvoidcomplexity of managing multi-cloud environment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cloud service broker as an intermediary system that sits between IT administrators and multiple cloud service providers. The broker collects information from various providers, maintains a unified service capability model, validates SLA conformance, and presents standardized interfaces to administrators. This mediator abstracts the complexity of managing diverse cloud services while preserving access to their diverse capabilities and price points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cloud service broker implements a universal service capability model that can represent and manage multiple types of cloud services from different providers through a single standardized framework. This multi-functional model handles diverse SLAs, infrastructure types, and pricing structures uniformly, allowing administrators to manage heterogeneous cloud environments through consistent processes and interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If IT administrators deploy workloads across multiple cloud environments without centralized management, then they can utilize different price points and service features, but the ability to make informed decisions on workload deployment and migration decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to utilize different price points and service featuresVSAvoidlack of information for informed decision-making

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The cloud service broker implements continuous feedback mechanisms by collecting real-time information from multiple cloud service providers about service capabilities, SLA compliance, and performance metrics. This feedback is processed and presented to IT administrators through the service capability model, enabling informed decisions about workload deployment and migration based on current state information from all connected cloud environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-collecting and organizing information about available cloud services, their capabilities, and SLA terms before deployment decisions are needed. The service capability model is maintained in advance with validated information, so when administrators need to make deployment decisions, comprehensive information is already available and structured for easy comparison and decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If IT administrators manually validate service level agreements for each cloud provider, then they can ensure SLA compliance, but the time and effort required to traverse complex and dynamic computing environments increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSLA compliance assuranceVSAvoidtime required to validate and manage SLAs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cloud service broker implements self-service validation mechanisms where service providers automatically provide SLA information and compliance data through standardized interfaces. The broker's service capability model automatically validates SLA conformance by comparing provider claims against the maintained model, reducing manual validation effort. The system performs automated information collection and validation, freeing administrators from time-consuming manual SLA verification while maintaining reliability through systematic validation processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10291488B1Workload management in multi cloud environment

Publication Date: 2019.05.14 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed for managing workloads across a distributed virtual infrastructure. In one example, a method comprises the following steps. Information is collected relating to services offered by service providers across a multi cloud environment implemented in accordance with a distributed virtual infrastructure. A service capability model is maintained based on the collected information. Service level claim conformance is validated for the services offered by the service providers. One or more recommendations are generated based on the collecting, maintaining and validating steps for presentation to a subscriber to assist in management of one or more workloads across the multi cloud environment.