Pluggable Cloud Enablement Boot Device for Automated Provisioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud deployment and enablement in distributed environments are complex and error-prone, requiring manual configuration by field engineers and taking weeks to complete, with a high likelihood of errors due to the need for complex manipulation of physical nodes, software tools, and various configurations.
Innovation Solution
A pluggable cloud enablement boot device (PCEBD) that automatically provisions hardware and software resources using firmware to verify platform sufficiency, allowing for rapid deployment and modification of computing solutions, enabling multiple resources to be provisioned and packaged into a single device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration by field engineers is used, then flexibility in customization is improved, but deployment time and error rate increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a boot device that contains a complete copy of the cloud environment configuration including virtual machine images, network settings, storage configurations, and software packages. This copied configuration can be automatically deployed to multiple nodes, eliminating manual configuration while maintaining consistency and flexibility through the embedded configuration data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration by pre-installing all necessary software packages, configuring network settings, setting up storage, and customizing virtual machine images before deployment. The boot device contains this pre-configured environment, allowing automatic provisioning without requiring field engineers to perform manual configuration steps during deployment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration by field engineers is used, then complex customization is improved, but error rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boot device contains a verified, error-free copy of the complete cloud environment configuration. This includes pre-configured virtual machine images, network settings, storage configurations, and security policies. By copying this validated configuration to multiple nodes automatically, the patent eliminates human error while maintaining the ability to handle complex customization requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot device enables the target system to self-configure automatically during the boot process. The embedded configuration data is automatically applied without human intervention, ensuring consistent, error-free deployment. The system self-provisions virtual machines, configures networks, sets up storage, and applies security settings autonomously based on the embedded configuration.
3Loss of time
If automatic provisioning is implemented, then deployment time is reduced, but verification of platform sufficiency becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary verification by checking platform sufficiency requirements before deployment. The boot device contains verification logic that automatically checks whether the target platform meets minimum hardware, software, and configuration requirements before attempting to provision the cloud environment, preventing deployment failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms during the automatic provisioning process. The system continuously monitors deployment status, verifies configuration applicability, and provides feedback on platform sufficiency. If requirements are not met, the system can alert operators or automatically adjust configurations, enabling rapid iteration and verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A pluggable cloud enablement boot device (PCEBD) is a bootable device that includes all information needed to automatically provision hardware and software to create a computing solution that meets customer requirements. This allows for quickly deploying a computing solution in a manner that eliminates many manual steps that are typically performed today. The PCEBD uses firmware to verify a given platform has sufficient resources to deploy the PCEBD. The computing solution, once provisioned and running, can be modified, and these modifications may be reflected in the definition of the PCEBD. In addition, a computing solution may include multiple resources provisioned from multiple PCEBDs, which can be packaged into a PCEBD that will include other PCEBDs. The result is a way to deploy computing solutions that is much more efficient than the manual methods used in the prior art.