Network Workflow Replay Tool for Datacenter Issue Reproduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reproducing tenant issues in datacenter environments is challenging due to inadequate information, language barriers, and the tedious iterative process of gathering data, often requiring multiple calls and involving various human resources, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A network workflow replay tool that automates the recreation of network issues by simulating the customer workflow in a lab environment, using log analysis to replicate the tenant's environment, including topology and object data store, and re-running workflows to recreate issues, thereby generating reports for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual information gathering through multiple calls is used to reproduce tenant issues, then completeness of information can be achieved, but time consumption and resource involvement increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting logs, configurations, and metadata from the tenant environment before issue reproduction is attempted. This pre-gathering of information eliminates the need for multiple iterative calls to gather complete information, resolving the contradiction by obtaining completeness upfront without time penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the tenant environment including object data stores, configurations, and log files. This copying approach allows complete information to be captured and reproduced without requiring repeated human interaction, thus achieving information completeness while minimizing time loss.
2Measurement precision
If multiple human resources are involved in gathering information through calls, then information accuracy can be improved, but device complexity and resource involvement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically collecting and analyzing logs, configurations, and environment data without requiring human intervention for information gathering. This automated self-service approach maintains information accuracy through systematic data collection while eliminating the complexity of coordinating multiple human resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human-to-human communication and manual information gathering with an automated electronic system that collects, parses, and analyzes data programmatically. This substitution maintains accuracy through consistent automated processes while reducing the complexity associated with human resource coordination.
3Adaptability or versatility
If iterative process with multiple calls is used to understand tenant environment, then workflow understanding can be improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of logs and configurations to automatically reconstruct workflows and environment details before issue reproduction begins. This preliminary understanding of workflows eliminates the need for iterative clarification calls, thereby improving productivity while maintaining comprehensive workflow understanding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by automatically analyzing collected data, identifying workflow patterns, and using this information to reproduce issues accurately. This feedback loop enables the system to understand workflows adaptively without requiring iterative human communication, thus improving both workflow understanding and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of automatically identifying and recreating tenants environment issues in a set of datacenters by a workflow replay tool is provided. Each datacenter includes a network manager server. The method analyzes, by the workflow replay tool, a set of log files generated in the particular tenant's environment to identify tenant's workflows. The method analyzes, by the workflow replay tool, network manager server databases of the tenant's environment to identify the logical entities in the tenant environment used by the identified workflows. The method allocates resources in a lab environment to simulate the tenant's environment. The method reruns the identified tenant's workflows by the workflow replay tool using the allocated resources in the lab environment to recreate tenant environment issues.