Phased Software Deployment Architecture for Node Subset Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for deploying and managing software applications on distributed networked nodes are cumbersome, error-prone, and lack fault tolerance, requiring manual intervention and system downtime during updates, which limits flexibility and resilience.
Innovation Solution
A modular deployment architecture that allows independent invocation of phases of an operation across networked peer nodes, enabling phased and schedulable deployment, fault tolerance, and reduced administrative control over specific subsets of nodes, rather than the entire network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automated deployment process is implemented across all nodes, then manual intervention is eliminated, but the system lacks fault tolerance and requires complete restart upon failure
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment process is divided into discrete phases that can be independently executed on individual nodes. Each phase represents a separable unit of work that can be managed, monitored, and restarted independently, allowing failed phases to be retried without affecting other phases or nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment system dynamically adapts to failures by allowing selective retry of failed phases on affected nodes while continuing deployment on successful nodes. The system transitions from a rigid all-or-nothing approach to a flexible, adaptive process that responds to actual system state.
2Stability of the object's composition
If deployment is performed on entire network of nodes, then consistency is maintained, but system downtime increases during updates
Solution Approach 1:
The network of nodes is segmented into groups that can be deployed independently. Phases can be executed on subsets of nodes rather than requiring simultaneous deployment across the entire network, allowing progressive updates that maintain consistency while minimizing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
Deployment is performed in periodic phases across different node subsets. Instead of a single bulk update causing complete downtime, the system performs periodic deployment cycles on different groups of nodes, maintaining continuous service availability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual deployment process is used on each node, then flexibility and control are maintained, but complexity and error-proneness increase
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary deployment management system is introduced that sits between administrators and individual nodes. This intermediary automates the coordination of phased deployment across nodes while preserving administrative control through configurable phase definitions and node selection, reducing manual complexity without sacrificing flexibility.
4Stability of the object's composition
If complete retry is required upon failure, then consistency is maintained, but productivity and efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Successful phases are completed and recorded before failure occurs. When failures happen, the system uses these preliminary successful actions as a foundation for recovery, avoiding the need to undo and redo already-successful work while maintaining overall deployment consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards only the failed phase attempts and recovers by retrying those specific phases on affected nodes, rather than discarding and recovering the entire deployment process. This selective approach maintains consistency while improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An application deployment architecture provides the capability to independently invoke different phases of an operation associated with an application, thereby progressively deploying the application across a network of peer nodes and providing fault tolerance. Therefore, applications are easier to deploy on the network of nodes, the deployment process is less error prone, and remediation of deployment errors is simpler than with prior approaches. Tasks constituent to phases of a deployment process are schedulable rather than completely automated and outside the control of the administrator, and are schedulable on a subset of the nodes rather than only on the entire network of nodes.