Container Orchestration for Resource-Constrained OT Compute Surfaces

The patent segments the container deployment architecture into two distinct parts: (1) a container orchestration system with sufficient computing resources that performs condition analysis and container selection, and (2) constrained OT devices that only receive and execute container instructions. This segmentation allows the heavy computational workload to be offloaded from resource-constrained devices to the orchestration system, resolving the contradiction between improving condition remediation capability and preserving device resources.

The container orchestration system acts as an intermediary between the available computing resources and the OT devices. It receives condition data from devices, analyzes the situation using its own computing power, selects appropriate containers, and deploys them to devices. This intermediary approach enables sophisticated condition handling without requiring OT devices to have sufficient local computing resources.

The patent extracts the complex container orchestration functionality from the OT devices and places it in a separate, dedicated orchestration system. This extraction allows OT devices to maintain simplicity while still benefiting from automated container deployment. The orchestration system handles all complex decisions regarding container selection, deployment timing, and resource allocation, leaving devices with only simple execution tasks.

The orchestration system performs preliminary analysis and preparation work before deploying containers to devices. It pre-evaluates conditions, pre-selects appropriate containers, and pre-plans deployment strategies. This beforehand cushioning approach automates complex decision-making processes in advance, reducing the real-time computational burden on OT devices and simplifying their operational complexity.