Policy-Based Manager for Multi-Layer Infrastructure Workload Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The disconnect between application development and IT operations in information processing systems leads to sub-optimal workload placement due to limited knowledge of infrastructure requirements, resulting in inefficient policy definition and interpretation.
Innovation Solution
A processing platform with a policy-based manager that independently defines and mutually enforces operational and application policies across multi-layer infrastructure layers, allowing for optimized workload placement and infrastructure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If application development and IT operations work in isolation with separate policy definitions, then each team can independently manage their domain, but the workload placement becomes sub-optimal due to lack of coordination and shared knowledge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines application policies and operational policies into a unified policy framework that is jointly enforced by both application development and IT operations teams. This merging allows coordinated decision-making for workload placement while maintaining independent policy definition capabilities, resolving the contradiction between independent management and optimized placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a policy management system that acts as an intermediary between application development and IT operations teams. This mediator translates and reconciles conflicting policies, enabling both teams to work independently while achieving coordinated workload placement through the intermediary's arbitration and integration mechanisms.
2Productivity
If a unified policy framework is used for both application and operational policies, then workload placement can be optimized through coordinated management, but the complexity of policy definition and enforcement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the unified policy framework into distinct application policies and operational policies that can be independently defined and managed. This segmentation reduces the complexity of policy definition while maintaining the benefits of coordinated enforcement through the unified framework, allowing each team to focus on their specific policy requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic policy management system that automatically adjusts and reconciles policies based on workload characteristics and infrastructure constraints. This dynamic approach reduces manual complexity by enabling automated policy conflict resolution and optimization, while maintaining coordinated management benefits.
3Adaptability or versatility
If application development team defines policies with limited infrastructure knowledge, then application requirements can be captured, but the policies may not align with operational constraints and infrastructure capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the operational team reviews and provides input on application policies before enforcement. This feedback loop ensures that application requirements are captured while aligning them with operational constraints and infrastructure capabilities, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the policy management system as an intermediary that translates application policies into operational-compatible formats. This intermediary ensures that application requirements are maintained while automatically adjusting policies to align with operational constraints, bridging the knowledge gap between teams.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus in one embodiment comprises a processing platform configured to implement multi-layer infrastructure comprising compute, storage and network resources at a relatively low level of the multi-layer infrastructure and an application layer at a relatively high level of the multi-layer infrastructure. The processing platform is further configured to determine operational policies for respective different ones of the layers of the multi-layer infrastructure other than the application layer, the operational policies defining operational rules and requirements relating to the corresponding layers, to determine an application policy for the application layer, the application policy defining application workload rules and requirements for an application to be executed in the multi-layer infrastructure, and to manage the multi-layer infrastructure in accordance with the operational policies and the application policy. The operational policies are defined independently of the application policy but mutually enforced with the application policy in conjunction with execution of the application in the multi-layer infrastructure.